The demand for freshers and professionals with less than five years of experience is expected to rise in the first six months of this year, according to the latest career outlook report by TeamLease EdTech.
Out of the 649 companies surveyed, 74% said they will hire freshers in the six months to June, 2% higher than the July-December 2024 period. The hiring demand for professionals in the 1-5 years of experience bracket, too, jumped from 66% to 69% during the same period.
Several industries are likely to witness strong freshers’ recruitment in the first half of 2025. This includes e-commerce & technology startups, which are expected to see a jump of 9% in H1 2025 in comparison to H2 2024. For manufacturing, the jump will be 14% and 3% increase for engineering & infrastructure.
The IT sector has experienced strong recovery with entry-level hiring intentions surging to 59% compared to 45% in H2 2024. “India’s IT industry is poised to see a surge in fresher hiring with over 150,000 entry-level roles projected. Leading IT firms are ramping up hiring to meet increased project demands. Roles in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, and cloud technologies are expected to grow by 30-35% in FY2025, driven by accelerated investments in AI and emerging technologies,” the report said.
Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO of TeamLease EdTech, said the key is to develop skills in AI-driven domains, adaptability, and digital competencies to secure meaningful roles in the job market. “Freshers need to smartly analyse the skills in demand and add them to their portfolio to bridge the gap and drive their ambitions to fruition,” he said.
Even traditionally smaller sectors like power & energy and marketing & advertising have displayed modest growth with increases of 4% and 2%, respectively. Meanwhile, the demand for professionals in the mid-level (6-10 years and 11-15 years experience) and senior-level positions are likely to remain subdued in H1 2025.
In terms of popular job roles, deep-tech seems to be an emerging area with roles such as clinical bioinformatics associate, robotics system engineer, sustainability analyst, prompt engineer, AI & machine learning engineer, cloud engineer and cybersecurity analyst in huge demand.
“Companies are particularly seeking candidates skilled in robotic process automation, performance marketing, network security, and financial risk analysis to address contemporary business needs. Beyond technical expertise, employers value computational thinking, interpersonal skills, analytic reasoning, and adaptability as crucial soft skills for entry-level positions,” the report said.