India’s white‑collar job market opens FY27 with 6 pc surge in hiring

New Delhi, May 1 India’s white‑collar job market opened FY27 on a healthy note, up 6 per cent year‑on‑year led by growth in the insurance job market, a report said on Friday.

The ‘Naukri JobSpeak’ saw its 'Index' reached 3,045 points in April, up 6 per cent year‑on‑year from 2,878 points. The three‑month moving average from February to April stood at 9 per cent year‑on‑year growth.

Insurance led sectoral growth growing 21 per cent and BPO/ITES went up 15 per cent. Real Estate was up 12 per cent, healthcare gained 11 per cent and education was up 9 per cent.

The report added telecom and banking continued four‑month declines, down 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, while IT, pharma and auto sectors remained largely flat.

Fresher hiring (with 0–3 years of experience) rose 11 per cent year‑on‑year and demand for roles paying more than 20 lakh per annum rose 15 per cent, the report said.

AI/ML roles sustained a strong trajectory at over 32 per cent growth. Professionals with 13–16 years of experience saw the highest growth at over 53 per cent, followed by 8–12 years at over 34 per cent. Fresher hiring remained positive at over 16 per cent, but grew at a slower pace.

Among the top metros, the southern cities dominated in April. Hyderabad led at over 12 per cent YOY, followed by Bengaluru at over 7 per cent and Chennai at over 6 per cent.

Delhi-NCR grew around 3 per cent, Kolkata remained largely flat, and Mumbai was the only major metro in negative territory.

Beyond the metros, emerging cities like Jaipur (over 12 per cent), Coimbatore (over 11 per cent), and Ahmedabad (over 7 per cent) continued to post firm growth, underlining the spread of hiring demand into tier-II markets.

"While IT hiring remains stable, we are seeing some moderation in banking. Overall, the job market remains resilient, with sectoral shifts shaping the hiring landscape,” said Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO, Info Edge.

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