New Delhi
White-collar hiring in India surged by 10% in October compared to the previous year, driven by strong demand in sectors such as oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and IT, according to a report released on Monday.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index highlights significant growth in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) roles, which increased by 39% year-on-year and 2% month-on-month. Notably, machine learning engineer positions saw a remarkable 75% growth. The IT sector has shown positive hiring trends in four out of the last seven months, suggesting a favorable outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year.
After a slow start in 2024, hiring for freshers also picked up, experiencing a 6% year-on-year increase in October. Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri, noted that this rise in fresher hiring reflects growing business confidence and presents exciting opportunities for new graduates.
IT unicorns reported a 28% increase in white-collar hiring, while foreign multinational companies (MNCs) and global capability centers (GCCs) in the IT sector saw impressive jumps of 5% and 10%, respectively. Overall, GCCs demonstrated consistent growth with a 17% year-on-year increase.
The southern states of India showed particularly strong performance in white-collar hiring. Tamil Nadu led with a 24% year-on-year growth, followed by Telangana at 16%, Karnataka at 12%, Andhra Pradesh at 9%, and Kerala at 7%. The FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors particularly focused on hiring experienced professionals to fill senior and strategic roles.
