India’s white-collar hiring grew by 6 percent year-on-year in April, mainly driven by insurance, BPO/ITeS, and real estate sectors, as per a Naukri JobSpeak Index report
The report, which tracks trends in India’s job market and hiring activities, said that insurance led the sectoral hiring by registering 21 percent year-on-year growth, followed by BPO/ITES with 15 percent, real estate with 12 percent, healthcare, and education.
“Hiring activity continues to show steady momentum, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index recording a 6 percent year-on-year growth. Sectors such as insurance, real estate, and healthcare are driving this expansion, reflecting both structural demand and increased consumer activity.”, Naukri.com MD and CEO Hitesh Oberoi said.
Hiring pattern across sectors
On the other hand, the report stated, telecom and banking sectors continued their four-month decline, falling to 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in April, while IT, pharma, and auto remained largely flat.
“While IT hiring remains stable, we are seeing some moderation in banking. Overall, the job market remains resilient, with sectoral shifts shaping the hiring landscape,” Oberoi said.
Even hiring in the Global Capability Center (GCC) witnessed a 4 percent dip in April, the report added.
In terms of experience level, fresher hiring, having experience between 0 to 3 years, the demand grew by a healthy 11% YOY. Furthermore, the report stated, the demand for 20+ LPA roles expanded by 15%, while AI/ML roles sustained their strong trajectory at 32% for over a year.
Region-wise hiring trends
As per the Naukri JobSpeak Index, among the top metros, southern cities dominated the trajectory, with Hyderabad recording 12 percent growth, followed by Bengaluru (7 percent) and Chennai (6 percent).
Delhi-NCR (at 3 percent) saw modest single-digit growth, Kolkata remained largely flat (1 percent), and Mumbai was the only major metro in negative territory at 3 percent, according to the report.
Beyond the metros, the report found that emerging cities like Jaipur (12 percent), Coimbatore (11 percent), and Ahmedabad (7 percent) continued to post firm growth, underlining the spread of hiring demand into tier-II markets.