Page 2 - Workforce

Women just 9% of FMCD workforce despite 30% hiring surge in two years

Even as India's fast-moving consumer durables (FMCD) sector has posted a 30 per cent hiring growth over the past two years, women remain starkly underrepresented, making up just 9 per cent of the workforce, said a report. India's FMCD sector has demonstrated consistent hiring momentum, with a cumulative 30 per cent increase from May 2023 to May 2025, according to a report by CIEL HR titled 'FMCD Sector: Talent Trends and Insights'. The report is based on quantitative analysis, drawing on data from 1,00,000 executives working in India's FMCD sector and 1,005 job postings. It also includes insights from the career sections of FMCD companies operating in India. Despite the sector's strong growth trajectory, the report revealed a huge gender gap, with women making up only 9 per cent of the FMCD workforce, one of the lowest among major sectors. Their representation remains especially low in manufacturing, sales, and technical roles due to long-standing structural barriers, it added. "T

Gabbard to slash intelligence office staff, cut budget by over $700 mn

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will dramatically reduce its workforce and cut its budget by more than $700 million annually, the Trump administration announced Wednesday. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement, Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorised leaks of classified intelligence, and politicised weaponisation of intelligence. She said the intelligence community must make serious changes to fulfil its responsibility to the American people and the US Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers. The reorganisation is part of a broader administration effort to rethink its evaluation of foreign threats to American elections, a topic that has become politically loaded given President Donald Trump's long-running resistance to the ...

Salesforce merges CFO, COO roles as leaders embrace AI strategically

Robin Washington says merging CFO and COO functions improves business insight; Salesforce study finds APAC CFOs rapidly adopting AI for growth and efficiency

Nasscom predicts workforce rationalisation as IT industry transitions

Nasscom expects workforce rationalisation as IT services transition to a product-aligned delivery model, driven by AI and automation. TCS's recent layoffs signal changes in the sector

TCS to lay off 2% of its workforce, impacting over 12,000 employees

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will lay off about 2% of its workforce, or 12,260 people, as part of its Project Fluidity, aiming to become a more agile, AI-led organisation

Intel cuts back spending, workforce as struggling chip maker eyes comeback

Intel Corp. is shedding thousands of workers and cutting expenses as its new CEO works to revive the fortunes of the struggling chipmaker that helped launch Silicon Valley but has fallen behind rivals like Nvidia Corp. In a memo to employees, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel plans to end the year with 75,000 workers, down 31% from 108,900 employees at the end of last year, through layoffs and attrition. The company previously announced a 15% workforce reduction. I know the past few months have not been easy. We are making hard but necessary decisions to streamline the organization, drive greater efficiency and increase accountability at every level of the company, Tan wrote. In addition, Intel will scrap previously planned projects in Germany and Poland and also move assembly and test operations in Costa Rica to larger sites in Vietnam and Malaysia. Costa Rica will remain a home to key engineering teams and corporate functions, Tan said in the memo. In the U.S., the company said it will .

Women's labour participation in India far from matching G20 peers: Poll

Over 70% of experts said the Indian government's overall unemployment data was inaccurate and masked the severity of joblessness and underemployment

Russia to bring in 1 million skilled Indian workers to fill labour gap

Russia will import up to 1 million workforce by the end of this year to address labour shortage in the country's highly industrialised areas, a business leader said. "As far as I know, by the end of the year, 1 million specialists from India will come to Russia, including the Sverdlovsk region. A new Consulate General is opening in Yekaterinburg, which will deal with these issues," Andrey Besedin, the head of the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the RosBusinessConsulting (RBC) news agency. Besedin said the migration of Indians would fill the shortage of a highly qualified workforce in the Sverdlovsk region. Sverdlovsk, with the capital Yekaterinburg, is situated in the Ural mountains and is home to Russian heavy industry and military-industrial complex, including world-famous Uralmash and T-90 series tank maker Ural Wagon Zavod. Besedin stressed that industrial enterprises needed to increase production volumes, but the region faced a shortage of skilled workers. Some ..

Raymond adopts AI, automation in HRMS to create future-ready workforce

Raymond, which celebrated its centenary this year, has embarked on a massive exercise to redefine skills for the modern age and is using automation to improve its productivity and efficiency, a top company official said. In a bid to create an engaged and skilled talent workforce that is 'ready-for-the-future', the 100-year old group is leveraging AI and automation in people practices. "We are in the process of implementing a very powerful HRMS system which has the ability to deploy AI. However, we are committing to preserving the human-centric ethos of the organisation. "Through extensive training, we will be sensitising people managers on working with empathy and emotional intelligence in the age of AI," KA Narayan, President, HR, Raymond, told PTI. Raymond is a diversified group with majority business interests in textile & apparel sectors and a presence across varying segments such as consumer care, realty and engineering in national and international markets. Its 100-year ...

Supreme Court clears way for Trump's plans to downsize federal workforce

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump's plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. The justices overrode lower court orders that temporarily froze the cuts, which have been led by the Department of Government Efficiency. The court said in an unsigned order that no specific cuts were in front of the justices, only an executive order issued by Trump and an administration directive for agencies to undertake job reductions. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenting vote, accusing her colleagues of a demonstrated enthusiasm for greenlighting this President's legally dubious actions in an emergency posture. Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE. Musk recently left his role. Tens of thousand

Bumble plans to layoff about 30% of global workforce in major overhaul

Online dating platform Bumble plans to lay off about 240 employees, or roughly 30 per cent of its global workforce. In a securities filing, Bumble disclosed that its board approved the cuts this week as it realigns its operating structure to optimize execution on its strategic priorities. The Austin, Texas-based company expects to see USD 40 million in annual cost savings spanning from the workforce reductions, much of which it says it will invest in product and technology development. These decisions were not made lightly, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of every employee impacted," Bumble said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Wednesday adding that it was now focused on moving forward in a way that strengthens our core business and "positions us for future growth. Shares for Bumble soared more than 23 per cent following the news. Its stock traded at just over USD 6.40 as of Wednesday afternoon. Bumble did not immediately specify when it would implemen

India's IT/ITes sector flexi workforce to reach 900K by 2030: Careernet

With India's IT and ITeS sector embracing flexible staffing as a core workforce strategy, a report on Wednesday revealed that the gig economy, which is growing at 15 per cent annually, will touch 9 lakh professionals by 2030. Currently, India's IT/ITeS sector employs 3,90,000 flexi workforce, accounting for around 7 per cent of the total 5.8 million professionals in the sector, talent solutions provider Careernet said in a report - "The Rise of Flexi Staffing: Outlook for India's IT/ITeS Talent Landscape". The report projected this number to more than double to 9,00,000 by 2030, growing at a 15 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). The Careernet's 'Rise of Flexi Staffing: Outlook for India's IT/ITeS Talent Landscape' report is based on real-time hiring data, market research, and industry trends. "With India being a global offshoring hub, demand for flexi workers is expected to rise in the IT/ITeS sector. India's IT/ITeS flexi staffing segment is undergoing a structural ...

Credai, Adani Cement tie up for workforce skilling, green construction

Credai has joined hands with Adani Cement to promote sustainable building practices and launch councils focused on workforce skilling and green development in real estate

UK's Pearson to raise India headcount by 43% as market becomes key focus

Pearson India operates in education and assessment markets, targeting school goers, students aspiring for colleges overseas and corporate professionals

Sitting all day? Try these easy desk stretches to stay pain-free at work

No time to work out? No problem-these physiotherapist-recommended desk stretches offer quick relief from pain, stiffness, and poor posture

Quess Corp throws its hat in GCC business to tap $105 bn market by 2030

The new business line, named Origint, will provide end-to-end services to help GCCs set up, scale, and operate high-performance centres across India and key international markets

Appeals court keeps block on Trump admin's downsizing of federal workforce

An appeals court on Friday refused to freeze a California judge's order halting the Trump administration from downsizing the federal workforce, which means that DOGE-led cuts remain on pause for now. The Republican administration had sought an emergency stay of an injunction issued by US Judge Susan Illston of San Francisco in a lawsuit brought by labour unions and cities, including San Francisco and Chicago. The judge's order questioned whether Trump's administration was acting lawfully in trying to pare the federal workforce. Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead the charge through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, have left their jobs via deferred resignation programmes or have been placed on leave. There is no official figure for the job cuts, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, and thousands

74% employees prioritise long-term benefits over bigger paychecks: Report

With rising cost-of-living pressures and evolving workforce expectations, a report has revealed shifting priorities with 74 per cent of respondents saying they prefer a slightly lower salary with stronger long-term benefits. Around 74 per cent of employees interviewed stated that they would choose a slightly lower salary in exchange for stronger long-term benefits such as health insurance, retirement planning, and education support, a report by staffing solutions and HR services provider Genius Consultants has revealed. The report by Genius Consultants is based on inputs from 1,139 employees across sectors pan India. It further found that currently only 32 per cent of employees felt that their current benefits package effectively supports their financial well-being, while over 61 per cent said their benefits were inadequate. Over 54 per cent of employees interviewed said their company does not prioritise mental and financial health while implementing wellness programs, said the ...

Women comprise around 20% of Isro workforce: VN Narayanan

ISRO chairman V Narayanan has said women employees comprise around 20 per cent of the workforce of the premier space research organisation and they are doing an outstanding job. He said the percentage of women employees in ISRO should go up to 40 per cent plus in the future. The ISRO chairman, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by a private school here on Thursday said, "that in a country like India, having 50 per cent women population, the country cannot progress unless the women contribute in a significant way." Asked about the women workforce in ISRO, Narayanan said, "There are a lot of women employees. The women are doing an outstanding job and they should be encouraged in their contribution. Gradually the number should go up. Right now, maybe there are around 20 per cent women scientists but it should go up to 40 per cent plus." Talking about social reformer Rammohan Roy, he said Roy and other luminaries and polymaths had championed the caus

ICICI Bank unlikely to increase its headcount on a net basis in FY26

ICICI Bank may not increase its workforce in FY26 despite adding branches, as it focuses on realignment, efficiency and digitisation, says Macquarie conference note