White-collar hiring stays steady in May, AI/ML and senior roles in demand

India's job market remained stable in May with strong AI/ML hiring, sustained senior-level demand, and fresher opportunities rising in non-tech sectors

Hiring in India’s white-collar job market held firm in May, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index ticking up slightly to 2,807 points, just above the 2,799 points recorded a year ago. Though overall activity was stable, the data revealed distinct surges in specific sectors and job categories, particularly in artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) and senior-level hiring.

 

AI/ML hiring racing across metro cities

 

Riding on last year’s momentum, AI/ML roles registered a sharp 25 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in May. Demand expanded aggressively in metro cities: Delhi-NCR led growth with a 35 per cent surge, followed closely by Chennai (34 per cent) and Kolkata (33 per cent).

 

Hiring demand extended through experience brackets with mid-to-senior professionals particularly in the 13–16 years cohort seeing an increase of 36 per cent. Entry-level roles weren’t left behind either, showing a robust 22 per cent rise.

 

Non-tech sectors drive fresher hiring

 

Overall fresher hiring stayed flat in May. However, non-IT sectors emerged as key growth pockets. Insurance led the way with a 26 per cent rise in fresher hiring, followed by real estate (12 per cent). BPO/ITES (5 per cent) and hospitality (4 per cent) also registered modest increases, highlighting a shift in entry-level demand beyond traditional tech domains.

 

Senior professionals remain in high demand

 

Professionals with 16 or more years of experience continued to be in demand, with this segment witnessing a 6 per cent increase in hiring in May. This trend persisted across both metropolitan and emerging cities. Among the top metros, Hyderabad (16 per cent) and Kolkata (13 per cent) led the growth, while Kochi (23 per cent) and Ahmedabad (13 per cent) saw the highest demand among non-metros.

 

Oil and gas (21 per cent) and real estate (17 per cent) were the top contributors by industry.

 

Unicorns power urban hiring momentum

 

India’s unicorns continued their hiring spree, posting a 19 per cent Y-o-Y growth in May. Metros powered this trend as Delhi-NCR recorded a 29 per cent spike, followed by Hyderabad (27 per cent) and Bengaluru (12 per cent). The bulk of unicorn hiring was concentrated in banking and financial services (29 per cent) and internet/ecommerce (18 per cent).

 

Beyond AI/ML and unicorn-led growth, a few traditional sectors showed resilience. Insurance hiring rose 6 per cent, real estate by 5 per cent, while BPO/ITES and hospitality each saw a 4 per cent uptick. These gains signal a wider recovery in customer-facing and service-oriented sectors.

 

“In an otherwise stable job market, what stood out in May was the continued momentum in AI/ML hiring across metros alongside steady demand for senior professionals, a trend that’s held firm over the past year,” said Pawan Goyal, ED and CBO, Naukri.com. “It was also interesting to witness fresher hiring gain ground in non-tech industries which bodes well for young talent.”