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India’s white-collar job market had its strongest February performance in years, with a 12% year-on-year increase to 3,233 jobs, up from 2,890 in the same period last year (February 2025), according to a report released on Tuesday.
Data compiled by the Naukri Jobspeak Index showed a month-on-month increase of 23% in January-February, higher than the typical 13-16% increase seen over the past two months.
New hires (0-3 years of experience) increased by 17% from the previous year. According to the report, demand for roles in the LPA pay band for people aged 20 and over has increased by 23%.
By sector, insurance grew the most at 28%, followed by BPO/ITES at 22%, real estate at 19%, hospitality/travel at 15%, and retail at 14%. According to the report, the IT sector grew by 6% after remaining stable last quarter, and AI/ML roles grew by 49% year-on-year.
In the IT sector, employment in the pay band below 20 LPA remained flat. According to the report, roles for LPA bands of 20 or more people increased by 19% year-on-year, while roles for LPAs of 50 or more people jumped by 45%.
New jobs in the IT sector increased by 8% during this period. Indian IT multinationals recorded a 55% year-on-year increase in employment, with AI/ML employment in the IT sector increasing by 40%. Overall, growth in new hires was led by non-IT sectors.
According to Naukri Chief Business Officer Dr. Pawan Goyal, the 23% month-on-month growth reflects meaningful IT recovery and strong AI investments by Indian multinationals. “The underlying momentum heading into the new fiscal year looks really solid,” Goyal said.
BPO/ITES employment grew 48% year over year, insurance by 42%, retail by 39%, and hospitality by 39%. New roles in the 20+ LPA band increased 30% year over year.
