Nearly 73% employers plan to hire freshers in first half of 2026: Report

Around 73 per cent of employers interviewed intend to hire freshers during January-June 2026, with recruitment decisions mainly driven by internships and real-world project experience rather than academic credentials alone, a report said on Wednesday.

Nearly 3 in 4 employers (73 per cent) intend to hire freshers during January-June this year, marking a 3 per cent increase over the previous half-year, according to TeamLease EdTech Career Outlook Report HY1 2026.

TeamLease Edtech Career Outlook Report HY1, January-June 2026, is based on inputs from 1,051 employers surveyed between November 2025 and January 2026 across industries and cities in India.

The report further revealed that sectoral demand is led by retail (91 per cent), followed by e-commerce and technology start-ups (90 per cent), and manufacturing (85 per cent).

 

In retail, the most in-demand roles include Dark Store Assistant and Inventory Management Assistant while e-commerce and technology start-ups are hiring for Digital Sales Associate and Junior Web Developer positions.

In manufacturing, demand is highest for Inventory and Logistics Coordinator and Battery Assembly Technician roles, added the report.

"We are witnessing a structural reset in how early-career talent integrates into the workforce. Fresher hiring intent has risen to 73 per cent this half-year, reflecting cautious but clear employer confidence in entry-level talent. Some sectors are demonstrating a spiking momentum - retail hiring intent has jumped 50 percentage points, from 41 per cent in HY1 2025 to 91 per cent in HY1 2026," TeamLease Edtech founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj said.

Travel has surged 51 points, from 26 per cent to 77 per cent, and Power and Energy has risen 50 points, from 22 per cent to 72 per cent signaling a strong rebound in demand for young professionals, he said.

Yet, he said that while opportunity is expanding, access is becoming more selective.

"The real divide today is between candidates who can demonstrate applied skills and those who cannot. Freshers with internships, project portfolios, or hands-on exposure are moving faster into growth tracks, while degree-only applicants face longer search cycles. The solution lies in embedding proof-of-work into learning pathways," Rooj added.

Meanwhile, the report stated that Bangalore leads fresher hiring intent at 84 per cent geographically, driven by Information Technology (81 per cent), e-commerce and technology start-ups (90 per cent), and engineering and infrastructure (61 per cent), with high demand for Software Testing Engineer (54 per cent) and Digital Marketing Executive (48 per cent).

The city also tops the list for degree apprenticeship hiring at 45 per cent.

It is followed by Mumbai at 72 per cent, powered by retail (91 per cent), FMCG (80 per cent), and healthcare and pharmaceuticals (52 per cent), with strong demand for BIM Coordination Assistant (55 per cent), Digital Sales Associate (58 per cent), and Clinical Research Associate (45 per cent).

Together, these cities account for the majority of India's entry-level hiring activity, offering freshers diverse opportunities across tech, operations, healthcare, and commerce sectors, added the report.