India's overall formal workforce under the EPFO expanded by nearly 9% to 7.95 crore, but the share of contributors in 12 labour-intensive industries fell to 6.87%.
Traditional employment sectors such as cashews, tea plantations, and jute recorded significant percentage declines in formal contributors over a two-year period.
Services sectors drove the overall employment growth, accounting for roughly 65% of the net increase in EPFO contributors between 2023-24 and 2025-26.