Auto sector hiring up 3%; other sectors hold back plans

Hiring activity slumped across key sectors during March but sectors such as IT/telecom, BFSI and automobile defied broader market sentiment and witnessed positive hiring momentum, says a report.
According to the latest RecruiteX, the recruitment index by TimesJobs.Com, demand for professionals in automobile sector jumped by 3 per cent even as other sectors held back hiring last month.
During March 2016, while most sectors were engaged in financial year closing and performance appraisals, the focus was more on retaining talent rather than new hiring, which kept the overall fresh hiring volumes low, the report said.
"During the start of the new fiscal year, organisations set new policies and frameworks and take stock of available and required resources. Hence hiring volumes are usually low," TimesJobs.Com COO Vivek Madhukar said.

While financial year 2016-17 began on a low note for most sectors with an overall average 1 per cent drop in talent demand, sectors such as IT, telecom, BFSI and automobile witnessed positive momentum between March 2015 and March 2016.
"Whatever hiring takes place during this period is largely replacement hires or for niche profiles and roles. This trend is evident in the figures reported in the RecruiteX," Madhukar added.
City-wise , talent demand grew in small cities and towns with Vadodara posting the highest rise of 8 per cent during March 2016, reported RecruiteX.
In the north-east, Sikkim, Manipur, Tripura and Assam also reported an average rise of 10 per cent in hiring during the month. Kerala was the best-performing southern state with an average 8 per cent rise in talent demand in March.