India's working women feeling increased stress due to COVID-19: LinkedIn

Nearly 47 per cent of Indian women are experiencing more stress or anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 10th edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index released on Thursday.

Nearly 47 per cent of Indian women are experiencing more stress or anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 10th edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index released on Thursday. For men, this number stood at 38 per cent, pointing towards a disproportionate impact on women in these testing times. The survey also underscores the challenges of childcare during the pandemic.

Based on the survey responses of 2,254 professionals in India, findings from the weeks of July 27 to August 23 show the pandemic's impact on India's working mothers and working women, and the cautious optimism of freelancers towards personal finances and career prospects. Remote working has laid out a tougher road for India's working mothers as the survey shows that around one in three (31 per cent) working mothers are currently providing childcare full-time as compared to nearly one in five (17 per cent) working fathers.

Worryingly, more than two in five (44 per cent) working moms are working outside their business hours to provide childcare, nearly twice as many men (25 per cent). Data also suggests that working mothers are more likely to bear the brunt of distractions from childcare while men seek support from friends and family.

The survey shows that only one in five (20 per cent) working mothers rely on a family member or friend to take care of their children when compared to 32 per cent men. Findings show that more than 46 per cent working mothers report working till late to make up for work, and 42 per cent are unable to focus on work with their children at home.

Besides, as more companies explore the merits of having an alternative workforce in the present times, freelancers in India reported cautious optimism towards personal finances and career prospects with an overall individual confidence score of plus 46. Findings show that about one in four freelancers anticipate an increase in their earned income (25 per cent) and personal savings (27 per cent) while close to one in three (31 per cent) expect their number of investments to increase in the next six months.

The LinkedIn index shows that India's overall confidence is growing steadily with a composite score of plus 57 (up from plus 53 in the fortnight of July 13 to 26). (ANI)

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