India’s White-Collar Job Market Sees Gradual Growth in August, Non-IT Sectors Lead Hiring

India’s white-collar job market continued its steady recovery in August, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index rising to 2,664, marking a 3% increase from 2,576 in the same month last year. The growth was largely driven by non-IT sectors, indicating broad-based hiring momentum beyond traditional technology roles.

The insurance sector led the surge, recording a 24% year-on-year increase in job postings. Metros such as Kolkata (+36%) and Delhi-NCR (+30%) were key drivers of demand. Mid-level professionals with four to seven years of experience saw the highest growth (+34%), followed by freshers (+25%) and professionals with 8–12 years of experience (+16%).

Hospitality and travel continued their strong performance, posting a 22% year-on-year growth in August. Delhi-NCR (+41%) and Chennai (+19%) emerged as major hiring hubs. Notably, the sector saw a sharp rise in fresher recruitment, which increased 44% year-on-year, highlighting its role as a key entry point for young talent.

While the IT sector recorded a 6% decline overall, IT startups bucked the trend with a 10% rise in hiring. Startups and unicorns across India also saw significant growth, particularly in Hyderabad, which recorded three consecutive months of positive momentum. Startup hiring in Hyderabad jumped 30% year-on-year, while unicorns saw an even steeper 45% increase, underscoring the city’s emergence as a major hub in India’s innovation ecosystem.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) roles continued to witness strong demand, surging 54% year-on-year in August. Growth was concentrated in major metros, with Kolkata (+101%) and Hyderabad (+80%) leading, followed by Delhi-NCR (+72%) and Chennai (+67%). Hiring increased across experience levels, with opportunities for freshers rising 7% and for seasoned professionals with 16+ years of experience up 8%.

Commenting on the trends, Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri, said, “Two patterns stand out in August. Non-IT sectors continue to anchor job-market growth, while Hyderabad is emerging as a hotbed for startup hiring, leading overall job growth among metros.”

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