Naukri JobSpeak June 2026: Hiring Grows 6%, AI Jobs Lead

India, 3 July 2026: White-collar hiring grew +6% in June, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index reaching 3027, compared to 2854 in June last year. This closes the first fiscal quarter at a 4% steady growth.

AI/ML roles continued their strong run, posting 25% YOY growth in June, and remaining one of the most consistently high-performing segments over the past two years. For more context on AI-led hiring, read the Naukri AI Jobs Report. Insurance also continued its strong run with 16% YOY growth, followed by FMCG at +7%, Telecom at +6%, Real Estate at +5%, and BPO/ITES and Pharma/Biotech at +4% each.

City-level hiring also witnessed positive momentum, with several metro and emerging markets outpacing the national trend. Barring Mumbai and Delhi, major metros like Kolkata (+12%), Hyderabad (+11%), Chennai (+10%), and Bengaluru (+7%) recorded strong growth, while emerging cities such as Bhubaneswar (+21%), Indore (+15%) and Coimbatore (+10%) stood out.

Fresher hiring also remained on an upswing, growing 8% YOY in June, and 9% YOY for the April-June quarter, pointing to sustained entry-level hiring momentum. Jobseekers entering the workforce can also read this guide on how to get a job as a fresher. Hiring growth was also visible across other experience levels, with the 4-7 years band growing 2% YOY, 8-12 years at 7%, 13-16 years at 12% and 16+ years at 9% in June.

Across functions, Media Production & Entertainment (+24%), Healthcare & Life Sciences (+22%), IT & Information Security (+18%), Production, Manufacturing & Engineering (+14%) and Marketing & Communications (+12%) saw the strongest hiring growth in June.

Hitesh Oberoi, MD & CEO, Info Edge (India) Limited said, “Even as IT hiring has moderated, AI hiring within the sector grew 16% YOY in June. That divergence is important because it shows where tech companies are still investing. AI is increasingly becoming a core capability area, especially as demand shifts towards more senior and specialised talent.”

Southern markets emerged as GCC hiring hubs

GCC hiring remained steady (-1%) at the national level, but Southern markets continued to outperform. Chennai led with 19% YOY growth in June, followed by Hyderabad at 15%, reinforcing the region’s position as a stronghold for GCC talent demand.

Fresher hiring boomed in the Telecom sector

Telecom hiring entered positive territory in June with 6% YOY growth, after remaining under pressure for much of the past year. The recovery was led by a sharp uptick in fresher hiring, which grew 25% YOY in the sector. Freshers can also refer to this guide on how to find fresher jobs on Naukri.

While sectors like Insurance, FMCG, Telecom, Real Estate, BPO/ITES and Pharma led hiring growth in June, sectors such as Oil & Gas, Retail, and Auto remained flat. Banking (-12%), Education (-4%), IT (-3%), and Hospitality (-3%) witnessed a decline.