Naukri JobSpeak Oct 2026: Hiring Up 2%, AI/ML Up 20%

White-collar hiring remained largely steady in September, growing 2% YOY, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index at 3053 compared to 3002 in September last year.

AI/ML roles continued to record growth, rising 20% YOY in September, while the Auto sector grew 11%. BPO/ITES and GCC hiring grew 4% each during the month.

Among other key sectors, Insurance, Retail, Banking/Financial Services and Real Estate remained largely stable. Hiring declined across IT/Software Services (-4%), Pharma/Biotech (-4%), FMCG (-4%) and Healthcare (-3%), while Hospitality/Travel (-11%) and Education (-18%) recorded sharper declines.

Hiring remained largely stable at the entry and early-mid career levels, with fresher hiring at +1% YOY and the 4-7 years experience band at -2%. Demand continued to remain stronger for experienced professionals, growing 5% for 8-12 years, 7% for 13-16 years and 5% for 16+ years.

Function-wise, hiring for Research & Development (+19%), Engineering - Hardware & Networks (+19%), Merchandising, Retail & eCommerce (+18%) and Construction & Site Engineering (+17%) recorded growth during the month.

Among metros, Hyderabad recorded 9% YOY growth, followed by Chennai at 6%, and Bengaluru and Kolkata at 4% each. Pune remained stable, while Delhi NCR and Mumbai declined 6% each. Hiring growth across emerging cities remained largely flat in September.

Hitesh Oberoi, MD & CEO, Info Edge (India) Limited said, “September’s numbers reflect a hiring market that remains steady, but more selective. While overall hiring was broadly stable, demand continued to move towards specialised skills, particularly AI, and more experienced professionals. The variation across sectors and cities also highlights that hiring is increasingly being driven by specific business and capability needs.”

AI hiring remains positive amid softer IT demand

IT/Software Services hiring declined 4% YOY in September, with trends varying across key technology hubs. Hyderabad recorded 3% growth, while Bengaluru remained stable. Other metros witnessed a decline in IT hiring.

However, within the IT sector, AI/ML hiring grew 11% YOY, even as overall IT hiring declined. Demand for AI/ML talent continued to be higher among experienced professionals. Hiring for professionals with 13-16 years experience grew 54% and 8-12 years grew 28%. Fresher AI/ML hiring grew 19%, while the 4-7 years band remained stable.

GCC hiring grows, led by Hyderabad

GCC hiring grew 4% YOY in September with Hyderabad leading GCC hiring growth at 23% YOY, followed by Chennai at 13% and Pune at 11%. Bengaluru grew 3%, while Delhi NCR remained stable. GCC hiring declined in Mumbai and Kolkata during the month.

Fresher hiring sees pockets of growth across traditional sectors

While overall fresher hiring remained steady in September, select sectors continued to add entry-level talent. Fresher hiring in Oil & Gas grew 21% YOY, followed by Banking/Financial Services at 14%, Pharma/Biotech at 10% and Healthcare at 10%.

The trend was notable in sectors such as Pharma/Biotech and Healthcare, where even though overall hiring declined during the month, demand for freshers remained positive.