Is India’s White-Collar Hiring Thriving in October?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- White-collar hiring in India showed a 3% YoY increase when adjusted for festive effects.
- Education sector hiring rose by 13%, with significant growth in cities like Hyderabad.
- Finance hiring increased by 15% YoY, indicating strong demand.
- Machine learning engineer roles grew by 139%, showcasing tech demand.
- BPO/ITES sector continued steady growth with a 6% YoY increase.
New Delhi, Nov 3 (NationPress) The white-collar job landscape in India exhibited significant resilience in October 2025, particularly in the fields of education, finance, BPO/ITES, and specialized technology positions, despite a noticeable lull in hiring during the Diwali-Dussehra festive period, as reported on Monday.
According to the recruitment platform Naukri, white-collar hiring in India saw a 3 percent year-over-year growth after accounting for the 'holiday effect' due to the shifting festive calendar.
The Naukri JobSpeak Index recorded a score of 2,480 points for the month, indicating a 9 percent decline year-over-year, primarily due to the festive cluster's temporary impact on hiring dynamics.
While the festive season brought about a general slowdown, sectors like accounting and finance (up 15 percent YoY), education (up 13 percent), and BPO/ITES (up 6 percent) showcased positive growth trends.
The education sector's hiring surge was notably driven by strong performances in Hyderabad (up 47 percent), Chennai, and Bengaluru.
Furthermore, the sector experienced a substantial 25 percent increase in hiring for fresh graduates with less than three years of experience. Startups in the education arena reported an impressive 77 percent growth year-over-year, as detailed in the report.
Naukri's findings highlighted robust activity within the technology sector, particularly in emerging technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrency, which saw a remarkable 60 percent year-over-year growth, indicating sustained investments in future-oriented skills.
Moreover, hiring within IT unicorns remained stable throughout the month. The BPO/ITES sector continued its steady expansion with a 6 percent year-over-year increase in hiring, driven by a 20 percent rise in entry-level positions, notably in metropolitan and developing cities.
The demand for specialized and high-skill talent escalated, with hiring for machine learning engineers soaring by 139 percent.
Significant growth ranging from 30 percent to 62 percent was also observed in hiring for search engineers, medical billers/coders, transition managers, and manufacturing engineers.