According to the report, hiring among 'white-collar' workers showed a slight year-on-year increase of 2% in September. This growth was primarily driven by a record increase in vacancies in the artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) field, as well as growth in the automotive sector.
Data from Naukri.com, the flagship brand of Info Edge, shows that the Naukri JobSpeak index reached 3053 in September compared to 3002 the previous year. This monthly index tracks labor market trends and hiring activity in India based on new job postings and recruiter search queries on the Naukri.com platform.
The report revealed that positions related to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) continued to show significant growth, increasing by 20% in September. The automotive sector grew by 11%, while the BPO/ITES and GCC sectors increased hiring by 4% each for the month.
Meanwhile, in key industries such as Insurance, Retail, Banking and Financial Services, and Real Estate, the situation remained relatively stable. However, there was a decline in hiring in the IT/Software Services segments (down 4%), Pharma/Biotechnology (down 4%), FMCG (down 4%), and Healthcare (down 3%).
A sharper decline was recorded in the Hospitality and Travel sectors (down 11%) and Education (down 18%).
Regarding career levels, hiring remained generally stable for entry-level and mid-level roles. Meanwhile, graduate hiring grew by 1% year-on-year, while the group of specialists with 4 to 7 years of experience decreased by 2%. Demand for experienced professionals remained high: growth was 5% for specialists with 8 to 12 years of experience, 7% for the 13–16 year group, and 5% for those with over 16 years of experience.
Among major cities, growth was noted: Hyderabad showed an increase of 9% year-on-year, followed by Chennai with a 6% growth, and Bengaluru and Kolkata both saw a 4% increase. Pune remained stable, but Delhi-NCR and Mumbai recorded a 6% drop in hiring each. Hiring growth in developing cities in September was mostly negligible.
Hitesh Oberoi, CEO and Managing Director of Info Edge (India) Limited, noted: 'The September figures reflect a hiring market that remains stable but more selective. While overall hiring was generally steady, demand continued to shift towards specialized skills, especially AI, and more experienced professionals. The variation between sectors and cities also highlights that hiring is increasingly determined by specific business needs and capabilities.'