Apna’s India at Work Q1’25 Report : Over 1.8 crore job applications, 3.1 lakh jobs posted, and 92% surge in job applications by women for enterprise job roles

Chandigarh : India’s job market is surging ahead with renewed momentum in 2025, as revealed by Apna’s latest “India at Work – Q1 2025” report. The platform witnessed a record-breaking 1.81 crore job applications, a 30% increase from the previous year, reflecting India’s growing economic optimism and digital hiring boom across sectors.  Women’s participation in the workforce soared, with over 62 lakh applications—a 23% year-on-year jump. Notably, applications from women for enterprise roles doubled, marking a 92% surge. This growth was most pronounced in Tier 2 and 3 cities such as Chandigarh, Indore, and Jamshedpur, driven by flexible work options, gender-inclusive hiring, and expanded opportunities in sectors like BPO, finance, and HR . Freshers also powered India’s employment engine, contributing over 66 lakh applications—a 46% YoY increase.   SMBs led the charge, posting over 2.1 lakh jobs, including 28,547 roles exclusively for women. Reflecting on India’s evolving workforce, Nirmit Parikh, Founder & CEO of Apna, shared: “When we launched Apna, we weren’t just building a jobs platform — we were building a movement to unlock access for every Indian, regardless of their pin code or past experience. In Q1 2025 too, we witnessed this vision materialize in ways we had always hoped for. ”