Metro and emerging cities outpace national hiring trend

A fresh report released on Monday highlights that while white‑collar recruitment in India grew 6 percent YoY in June, several metropolitan and tier‑2 cities recorded gains that surpassed the national average.

Insurance continued its leading position with a 16 percent increase, whereas FMCG, telecom, real‑estate and the combined BPO/ITES and pharma‑biotech sectors posted growth of 7, 6, 5 and 4 percent respectively.

The Naukri JobSpec Index, a composite indicator of hiring activity, rose from 2,854 a year earlier to 3,027, reflecting a 4 percent rise for the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Fresh graduate hiring surged 8 percent YoY in June and 9 percent in the April‑June quarter. Experience‑based hires also improved: 2 percent for 4‑7 years, 7 percent for 8‑12 years, 12 percent for 13‑16 years and 9 percent for more than 16 years of experience.

City‑level data shows Kolkata (+12 percent), Hyderabad (+11 percent), Chennai (+10 percent) and Bengaluru (+7 percent) leading the pack. Fast‑growing urban centers such as Bhubaneswar (+21 percent), Indore (approximately +15 percent) and Coimbatore (about +10 percent) outperformed many larger metros.

Sectoral performance was strongest in media production & entertainment (24 percent), followed by healthcare & life sciences (22 percent) and IT & information security (over 18 percent).

Hitesh Oberoi, MD & CEO of Info Edge (India) Limited, noted that AI‑related hiring grew 16 percent YoY in June, despite a slowdown in overall IT recruitment, underscoring the sector’s shift toward senior, specialized talent.

GCC hiring remained flat nationwide, yet southern markets showed healthier numbers: Chennai (+19 percent) and Hyderabad (+15 percent). Telecom hiring rebounded with a 6 percent YoY rise, largely driven by a 25 percent increase in fresh‑graduate recruitment.