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Hiring trends: White-collar hiring grows 6% in April - AI- Machine Learning jobs grow 32%

01 May 2026

India's white-collar hiring grew 6% YoY in April 2026, led by insurance (21%), BPO/ITeS (15%), and real estate (12%), per the Naukri JobSpeak Index. AI/ML roles surged 32% while fresher hiring rose 11%. Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and tier-II cities like Jaipur drove regional growth, even as Mumbai dipped and banking and telecom continued their four-month decline.
Hiring trends: White-collar hiring grows 6% in April - AI- Machine Learning jobs grow 32%

Trends in India's Job Market: Key Takeaways from the Latest Report

The latest report on India's job market has revealed significant trends in hiring activities across various sectors. According to the data, insurance led the sectoral hiring, followed closely by BPO/ITES, real estate, healthcare, and education.

Sectoral Hiring Trends

  • Insurance: Registered a 21 percent year-on-year growth, making it the top sector in terms of hiring.
  • BPO/ITES: Saw a 15 percent year-on-year growth, ranking it second in sectoral hiring.
  • Real Estate: Experiencing a 12 percent year-on-year growth, with a steady increase in hiring activities.
  • Healthcare and Education: Showing moderate growth, with a significant increase in demand for professionals in these sectors.

The Naukri JobSpeak Index, which tracks trends in India's job market, recorded a 6 percent year-on-year growth, indicating a steady momentum in hiring activities. This growth is driven by sectors such as insurance, real estate, and healthcare, reflecting both structural demand and increased consumer activity.

Declining Sectors

  • Telecom: Continues its four-month decline, falling to 11 percent in April.
  • Banking: Also saw a decline, with a 10 percent drop in April.

According to Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO of Naukri.com, while IT hiring remains stable, there is some moderation in banking. The job market remains resilient, with sectoral shifts shaping the hiring landscape.

Experience Level and Roles

  • Fresher Hiring: Demand grew by 11 percent year-on-year for professionals with experience between 0 to 3 years.
  • 20+ LPA Roles: Saw a 15 percent growth in demand, indicating a significant increase in high-paying job opportunities.
  • AI/ML Roles: Sustained their strong trajectory at 32 percent for over a year, reflecting the growing demand for professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Region-wise Hiring Trends

According to the Naukri JobSpeak Index, southern cities dominated the hiring trajectory, with Hyderabad recording 12 percent growth, followed by Bengaluru (7 percent) and Chennai (6 percent). Delhi-NCR saw modest single-digit growth, while Kolkata remained largely flat, and Mumbai was the only major metro in negative territory.

Emerging Cities

  • Jaipur: Recorded 12 percent growth, underlining the spread of hiring demand into tier-II markets.
  • Coimbatore: Saw 11 percent growth, indicating a significant increase in hiring activities in this emerging city.
  • Ahmedabad: Experienced 7 percent growth, further highlighting the hiring momentum in tier-II markets.