mumbai: India’s white-collar job market registered 12% year-on-year growth in February on the back of increased AI adoption and recovery in the IT sector, a report said on Tuesday, March 3.
The white-collar job market recorded its strongest performance in years in February, with the Naukri Jobspeak Index reaching 3,233 points, up 12% from 2,890 points in February 2025.
The report, based on the Naukri Jobspeak Index, said the month-on-month acceleration in January-February was 23%, significantly higher than the 13-16% range typically seen in the previous two months.
In the IT sector, employment grew by more than 6% year-on-year in February 2026.
New graduate recruitment in this field also increased steadily by 8%.
According to the report, India-based multinational IT companies were the main drivers, recording a 55% jump in employment.
Within the IT sector, the company announced a 40% increase in AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) hiring, confirming February’s performance is concentrated in the highest-skilled, highest-value talent segments.
Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly index that tracks trends in the Indian job market and recruitment activity based on new job openings and recruiter searches on Naukri.com’s resume database.
The report further said that while entry-level recruitment increased by 17% annually, demand for roles in the Rs 2 million annual salary range increased by 23%, reflecting strength across both entry-level and high-value talent segments.
Meanwhile, non-IT sectors continue to support hiring momentum, with insurance leading the way at 28%, followed by BPO/ITES (22%), real estate (19%), hospitality/travel (15%), and retail (14%).
In February 2026, Indian multinationals expanded employment by 24%.
In the IT sector, AI/ML roles continued their strong trajectory, increasing by 49% year over year.
The report said Indian multinationals increased AI/ML employment by 82%, compared to 43% for foreign multinationals, highlighting that domestic companies are making the biggest bets on adopting new technologies.
IT employment has rebounded significantly and Indian multinationals are investing in AI talent at a healthy pace. Naukri chief business officer Pawan Goyal said the underlying momentum heading into the new financial year looks really strong.
