India Leads Global Peers In Hiring Outlook For Jan-Mar: Survey

Indian employers report strong hiring sentiment compared to global peers for the January-March quarter. Hiring sentiment for the upcoming quarter is up by three percentage points compared to the previous quarter and the same quarter last year.

The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey places India 15 points above the global average of 25%, ahead of the United States and Costa Rica.

Among 3,150 corporates surveyed, over half, around 53%, shared plans to expand the workforce. However, 13% reported a decline in hiring plans or no vacancies.

IT Sector Leads Corporate India in Hiring Outlook

The information technology sector reclaimed its position as the strongest driver of employment growth with a net employment outlook of 50%, followed by financials and real estate (44%).

The consumer goods & services (40%), energy and utilities (38%), and healthcare & life sciences (38%) also ranked among the top sectors.

India Remains Among the Fastest-Growing Major Economies

“India remains one of the world’s fastest-growing large economies, with its position as the global leader in employment outlook for Jan-March 2025, highlighting employers’ confidence in the country’s economic trajectory,” said Sandeep Gulati, country manager, ManpowerGroup India and West Asia.

He added, “Significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and public funding have boosted the IT sector’s employment market, leading the sector with an outlook of 50%. Investment from multinationals looking to reduce their operational costs also benefits India, and the outlook for 2025 looks more positive.”

Year-on-year, hiring sentiment has improved in all four regions, with quarter-on-quarter growth in three of them. West India leads with a 43% outlook, up four points from the previous quarter, followed by East India at 41%, which saw an 11-point rise. North India (39%) recorded a slight dip, while South India (38%) posted a three-point increase.

Larger organizations continue to dominate hiring, with firms employing 250-999 and 5,000+ reporting the highest outlooks at 48%.

The survey also highlighted growing gender equity efforts across industries. Nearly 66% of organizations reported being on track with pay equity initiatives, an 8-percentage-point improvement over last year. The IT sector leads with 78%, followed by financials & real estate (69%), consumer goods & services (67%), and healthcare & life sciences (66%).

India’s hiring momentum, driven by the IT sector’s resurgence and widespread regional growth, along with advancing workplace equity, reinforces its standing as a global leader in employment optimism. For the Q1 2025 report, the NEO data collection was digitized across 42 markets. From October 1-31, 2024, 40,413 employers worldwide were surveyed about their hiring plans.

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