India’s white-collar job market grew by 4% year-on-year in February, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), hospitality, and real estate, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak Index. The index reached 2,890 points, signaling an improving employment scenario, especially in industries that faced challenges in 2024.
AI and Hospitality Lead Hiring Surge
The AI-ML sector saw a 21% rise in hiring, while the hospitality industry rebounded with a 20% increase, reversing last year’s decline. Real estate also posted a 9% rise in hiring, indicating a strong recovery.
Core sectors showed mixed results. FMCG grew by 8%, pharma by 5%, and global capability centres by 2%. However, banking jobs declined by 6%. IT hiring remained flat overall but showed growth in cities like Jaipur (+19%) and Coimbatore (+10%).
The demand for specialised tech roles surged. Hiring for data scientists increased by 76%, machine learning engineers by 70%, and security consultants by 44%. The retail sector declined by 4%, but consumer durables (+25%) and beauty and wellness (+13%) saw strong gains.
Senior professionals with over 16 years of experience saw a 15% rise in hiring, while high-salary jobs (₹20 lakh per annum and above) jumped by 21%. Fresh graduate hiring remained stable, with hospitality and telecom leading at 23% and 11%, respectively.
“The job market has started the year positively, with steady growth in January and February,” said Pawan Goyal, chief business officer at Naukri.
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