New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS): India's white-collar hiring grew 5 per cent year-on-year in July aided by sustained demand for artificial intelligence (AI) talent and a recovery in information technology (IT) recruitment, according to a report released on Monday.

According to an analysis of Naukri, the JobSpeak index stood at 3,227 in July, up from 3,074 in the same month last year, indicating a positive start to the second quarter of the current financial year.

AI and machine learning (AI/ML) roles remained the fastest-growing segment as recorded a 33 per cent year-on-year increase in hiring.

However, the trend has continued for over two years, making AI/ML the strongest-performing segment in the white-collar job market.

Moreover, IT and software services hiring rose 6 per cent from a year earlier after an uneven run over the past year, with growth led by Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. Within the sector, hiring for AI roles increased 30 per cent, while demand for IT and information security professionals grew 23 per cent.

While insurance emerged as the top-performing sector with a 10 per cent increase in hiring, followed by real estate at 8 per cent.

Healthcare and FMCG also reported healthy demand, while hiring declined in telecom, banking and financial services, pharma, hospitality and education.

"The July hiring trends point to a market that is steadily gaining momentum. Growth in IT hiring, sustained demand for AI talent and continued expansion in fresher recruitment indicate that employers are investing in both future-ready skills and workforce expansion," Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and CEO of Info Edge (India) Ltd, said.

In addition, fresher hiring remained resilient and grew 6 per cent year-on-year in July.

Similarly, recruitment increased across most mid- and senior-level experience bands, reflecting broad-based hiring momentum.

City-wise, Kolkata recorded the highest hiring growth at 17 per cent, followed by Hyderabad at 16 per cent, Chennai at 11 per cent and Bengaluru at 8 per cent, while hiring in Mumbai and Delhi remained flat.

Additionally, global Capability Centre (GCC) hiring also grew 5 per cent year-on-year, led by Chennai and Hyderabad, while demand for experienced AI professionals and high-paying AI roles continued to remain strong.

(IANS)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.