Hiring Growth Led by Auto, Healthcare and Retail
India’s white-collar hiring market recorded a 14% year-on-year increase in August 2026, with non-IT sectors emerging as major drivers of recruitment growth.
The latest Naukri JobSpeak Index rose to 3,028 in August, compared with 2,664 in the same month last year. However, the index declined 6% from July’s 3,227, indicating that hiring activity moderated on a month-to-month basis.
Auto and Healthcare Lead Sectoral Growth
The strongest hiring momentum came from the auto and auto-ancillary sector, where recruitment increased 19% year-on-year.
Healthcare hiring grew 16%, while retail recorded a 15% increase. The growth indicates that demand for white-collar professionals is broadening beyond traditional technology and IT services.
Hiring increased across both IT and non-IT sectors and across different experience levels, suggesting that the improvement was not restricted to a particular category of professionals.
AI and Machine Learning Hiring Surges
Technology hiring is also showing signs of a shift towards specialised skills.
Demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning professionals grew 31% during August, making AI and ML among the fastest-growing areas of recruitment.
The trend reflects continued investment in AI capabilities even as overall technology hiring becomes more selective. Companies are increasingly looking for professionals with specialised skills rather than simply expanding technology headcount across traditional roles.
Freshers See Stronger Demand
The August hiring recovery also benefited early-career professionals.
Fresher hiring increased 15% year-on-year, indicating that companies are once again expanding entry-level recruitment across several sectors.
The improvement could provide some relief to graduates entering a job market that has increasingly favoured experienced professionals and specialised technology skills.
Hyderabad Leads Major Cities
Among India’s major cities, Hyderabad recorded the strongest hiring growth at 23%, followed by other large employment centres.
Emerging locations such as Bhubaneswar and Raipur also recorded notable increases, suggesting that recruitment is gradually spreading beyond the country’s traditional employment hubs.
This expansion could strengthen the role of Tier-2 and emerging cities in India’s white-collar employment market.
Festive Calendar Creates a Caveat
The August numbers should nevertheless be interpreted carefully.
The festive calendar was different from last year, with a larger portion of the festive period falling in August 2025 and shifting towards September in 2026. This can influence seasonal recruitment patterns, particularly in sectors such as retail and consumer-facing businesses.
Naukri’s management has indicated that the hiring trend will become clearer as the festive quarter progresses.
Hiring Outlook Improves
The overall data points to a strengthening white-collar job market, although the month-on-month decline shows that the recovery is not uniform.
The combination of stronger non-IT recruitment, rising AI demand and improving fresher hiring suggests companies are increasingly hiring for specific business and technology needs rather than simply increasing headcount.
Summary: India’s white-collar hiring rose 14% year-on-year in August 2026, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index. Auto and auto-ancillary hiring grew 19%, healthcare 16% and retail 15%, while AI and ML roles jumped 31%. Fresher hiring also increased 15%. However, hiring fell 6% from July, and festive-season timing may have influenced the August numbers.
