Fresher IT hiring falls to 24% as firms prioritize experience
Landing your first IT job just got tougher, fresher hiring in the sector dropped to 24% in July, down from 32% last year.
While overall tech recruitment grew by 10%, companies are focusing more on experienced professionals, with hiring for those with seven to 10 years' experience jumping by 11%.
Across the market, fresher jobs fell by another 10%.
AI and skill roles gain ground
AI and skill-based roles are gaining ground: AI-led jobs now make up 4% of fresher hires (up from just 1%), and 12% of fresher roles offered at least ₹8 lakh, mostly in AI, data science, cybersecurity, semiconductor, and product engineering.
There's a shift toward skills over degrees too: about 15% of fresher postings did not specify a qualification at all.
As Foundit CEO Tarun Sinha put it, focusing mainly on experienced hires might help now but could hurt future leadership growth.