White collar hiring rises 3% in January led by non-IT sectors and fresher roles

India’s white-collar hiring recorded a 3 percent year-on-year increase in January, driven largely by non-IT sectors and growing demand for freshers, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak report released on Monday.

The Naukri JobSpeak Index stood at 2,637 points in January 2026, up from 2,550 points in January 2025, indicating a steady start to the year.

Non-IT sectors led the growth, with BPO and ITES hiring rising 21 percent, hospitality and travel increasing 15 percent, insurance growing 7 percent, and healthcare expanding 5 percent.

Banking and financial services were the exception, registering a 15 percent year-on-year decline.

The IT sector remained flat overall, though demand for AI and machine learning roles continued to show strong momentum with a 34 percent rise. Fresher hiring grew 8 percent during the month, reflecting increased entry-level opportunities across sectors.

Hiring for professionals with zero to three years of experience rose sharply across non-IT industries, including real estate at 42 percent, BPO and ITES at 39 percent, insurance at 35 percent, and hospitality at 33 percent. This trend has remained consistent over the past three months.

Non-metro cities such as Coimbatore and Jaipur emerged as fresher hiring hubs, while Hyderabad saw a 10 percent rise in overall hiring, supported by growth in global capability centres.