NEW DELHI, India — India’s white-collar job market ended 2025 on a strong footing, with hiring activity rising 13 percent year over year in December, according to a new report released Monday.
The strong December performance made the October–December period the best quarter of the year, recording 9 percent annual growth and setting a positive outlook for the job market in 2026, the report by Naukri JobSpeak said.
Hiring momentum was led by hospitality, which saw a 29 percent rise in December, followed by insurance with a 34 percent increase and real estate with 21 percent growth. The BPO and IT-enabled services sector, which had struggled earlier in the year, also posted a solid recovery in the final quarter.
Non-metro cities played a significant role in the late-year surge, with locations such as Jaipur and Ahmedabad seeing increased hiring activity, particularly in BPO and entry-level positions.
High-paying roles also gained traction. Jobs offering salaries above Rs 20 lakh per annum grew 27 percent overall, with cybersecurity emerging as a standout category.
Freshers benefited from the broad-based recovery, with entry-level hiring rising 18 percent by the end of the year, largely driven by non-IT sectors. Hospitality and insurance recorded more than 50 percent growth in fresher hiring, followed by BPO and real estate.
Smaller cities including Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur and Ahmedabad were among the major contributors to fresher hiring growth, the report said.
Hiring by unicorn companies also increased, rising 21 percent year over year in December. Southern cities such as Chennai and Hyderabad emerged as key hubs, supported mainly by recruitment in internet and e-commerce firms.
Commenting on the trend, Naukri Chief Business Officer Dr. Pawan Goyal said the sustained strength in non-technology sectors throughout 2025 indicates that the shift in hiring patterns is now firmly established.
He added that the steady rise in entry-level roles across these sectors is a positive sign for fresh graduates as India enters 2026 with renewed optimism in the job market. (Source: IANS)
