Job market update: Hiring up 3% in January
India's white-collar job market got a small but welcome boost in January 2026, with hiring up 3% from last year, according to the Naukri JobSpeak Index.
The real action is outside traditional IT jobs: non-IT sectors and fresh graduates are driving most of the growth.
AI roles saw a whopping 34% increase
BPO/ITES roles jumped by 21%, while hospitality, travel, insurance, and healthcare also saw more openings. Meanwhile, banking jobs took a hit.
What's really catching attention? Demand for AI and machine learning roles soared by 34%, showing that tech skills beyond basic IT are in high demand.
Freshers and non-metro cities driving the change
If you're just starting out or not living in a big city, there's good news—fresher hiring grew by 8%, especially in BPO/ITES (up 39%), insurance (35%), hospitality (33%), and real estate (42%).
Cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad saw some of the fastest job growth.
Overall, India's job scene is spreading out beyond metros and IT corridors—opening up new paths for young professionals everywhere.