ArdorComm Media News Network
September 10, 2026
White-collar recruitment in India increased 14 per cent year-on-year in August, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) positions emerging as key drivers of the growth, according to a report by Naukri.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index rose to 3,028 in August from 2,664 during the same month last year. The report noted that the increase came against the backdrop of a delayed festive calendar, with a larger share of the festive season falling in September this year compared with August last year.
Among major sectors, the automotive industry recorded the highest growth at 19 per cent, followed by healthcare at 16 per cent and retail at 15 per cent. Insurance hiring increased 12 per cent, while IT grew 11 per cent. Banking and FMCG recorded 10 per cent growth each, while BPO/ITES, Oil & Gas and Real Estate each rose 8 per cent.
Pharma and biotech hiring remained unchanged. Meanwhile, hospitality and travel declined 4 per cent, while education hiring fell 8 per cent.
Hiring among freshers increased 15 per cent. Demand for professionals with four to seven years of experience rose 10 per cent, while recruitment for those with eight to 12 years of experience increased 16 per cent. Hiring grew 18 per cent for professionals with 13 to 16 years of experience and 13 per cent for those with more than 16 years of experience.
At the functional level, healthcare and life sciences recorded 34 per cent growth, followed by media production and entertainment at 33 per cent, engineering-hardware and networks at 30 per cent, and BFSI, investments and trading at 29 per cent.
Hyderabad led hiring growth among major metropolitan cities at 23 per cent year-on-year, followed by Kolkata at 22 per cent and Chennai at 20 per cent. Bengaluru and Pune each recorded 14 per cent growth, while Delhi-NCR and Mumbai registered increases of 10 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively.
Emerging employment hubs also posted strong gains, with Bhubaneswar witnessing 32 per cent growth and Raipur 23 per cent. Surat and Ranchi also recorded notable increases.
Within IT and software services, hiring grew 11 per cent in August. Kolkata emerged as the fastest-growing major city for IT recruitment, with hiring up 33 per cent, followed by Hyderabad at 23 per cent. AI/ML hiring within the sector increased 22 per cent, while demand for IT and information security professionals climbed 32 per cent, underscoring continued demand for specialised technology skills.
Hiring by global capability centres (GCCs) also expanded 10 per cent during the month. Hyderabad led GCC recruitment growth at 28 per cent, followed by Chennai at 21 per cent.
Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and CEO of Info Edge (India), said the hiring growth should be viewed in the context of the festive calendar, as the bulk of the festive period has shifted to September this year from August last year.
Source: IANS