India's White-Collar Hiring Surges 6% in April, Led by Insurance Sector

India's white-collar hiring grew by 6% year-on-year in April, primarily driven by the insurance, BPO/ITeS, and real estate sectors, according to a report released on Friday.

Insurance led the sectoral hiring with a 21% year-on-year growth, followed by BPO/ITeS (15%), real estate (12%), healthcare (11%), and education (9%), as per the Naukri JobSpeak Index report.

However, the telecom and banking sectors continued their four-month decline, falling 11% and 10%, respectively, in April. The IT, pharma, and auto sectors remained largely flat.

Even hiring in the Global Capability Centre (GCC) witnessed a 4% dip in April, the report added.

The Naukri JobSpeak Index report is a monthly index that tracks trends in India's job market and hiring activities.

When it came to geographies, southern cities dominated the trajectory, with Hyderabad recording 12% growth, followed by Bengaluru (7%) and Chennai (6%). Delhi-NCR saw modest single-digit growth at 3%, Kolkata remained largely flat at 1%, and Mumbai was the only major metro in negative territory at 3%.

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

'Hiring activity continues to show steady momentum, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index recording a 6% year-on-year growth. Sectors such as insurance, real estate, and healthcare are driving this expansion, reflecting both structural demand and increased consumer activity,' said Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO of Naukri.com.

'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,' he added.