India’s white-collar hiring surged 14 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in August, led by demand from non-information technology (IT) sectors and stronger hiring of freshers, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report released on Tuesday.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index stood at 3,028 in August, compared with 2,664 a year earlier.
However, the index fell 6 per cent from 3,227 in July, indicating that hiring activity moderated month-on-month (M-o-M).
The growth in August was broad-based across several non-IT industries.
Hiring in auto and auto ancillary increased 19 per cent Y-o-Y, while healthcare hiring rose 16 per cent and retail grew 15 per cent.
Insurance hiring increased 12 per cent, while accounting and finance jobs rose 14 per cent.
Hiring in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) roles rose 31 per cent Y-o-Y in August, while recruitment-sector hiring surged 109 per cent.
Other sectors recording strong growth included consumer durables at 36 per cent, aviation and aerospace at 33 per cent, mining at 28 per cent, office equipment and automation at 25 per cent, gems and jewellery at 23 per cent and shipping and marine at 21 per cent.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index, published by Naukri.com, an Info Edge company, tracks hiring activity on the platform based on new job postings and recruiter searches on its resume database.
The index is used as an indicator of trends in white-collar recruitment and does not represent actual hires. The index excludes gig employment, hyperlocal hiring, and campus placements.
Fresher hiring also outpaced the overall market. Hiring of candidates with up to three years of experience increased 15 per cent in August, with the report attributing the growth to non-IT sectors such as telecom and insurance. Fresher hiring in insurance alone rose 37 per cent.
Demand for experienced professionals also remained firm. Hiring increased 18 per cent for candidates with 13-15 years of experience and 16 per cent for those with 8-12 years of experience.
Hiring among professionals with 4-7 years of experience rose 10 per cent, while demand for those with more than 16 years of experience increased 13 per cent.
Information technology and software services hiring rose 11 per cent during the month, while banking, financial services and broking increased 10 per cent. Hiring in global capability centres (GCCs) also grew 10 per cent.
The recovery was nevertheless uneven. Hiring fell 14 per cent in media, dotcom and entertainment, 8 per cent in education, teaching and training, and 7 per cent in legal services. Hotels, restaurants, airlines and travel recorded a 4 per cent decline.
The report cautioned that the year-on-year growth needs to be viewed in the context of a shifting festive calendar. A larger part of the festive period fell in August last year, while this year more of it will fall in September, which could affect comparisons between the two months.