India’s white-collar job market edged ahead in August 2025, with the Naukri JobSpeak Index at 2,664, a 3% YoY rise from 2,576 in August last year.
Non-IT sectors contributed to this growth, with Insurance (+24%), Hospitality/Travel (+22%), BPO/ITES (+17%), Education (+16%), and Real Estate (+18%) all registering healthy gains.
The IT sector declined by 6% YoY, but IT unicorns bucked the trend with a +10% YoY growth in hiring. Hiring rose at both ends of the experience spectrum in August, with freshers up +7% YoY and seasoned professionals (16+ yrs) up +8% YoY.
AI-ML Hiring Continues Its Double-Digit Growth Streak
Hiring for AI-ML roles surged +54% YoY in August, continuing the strong momentum observed in recent months. The upswing spanned across metros, with Kolkata (+101%) and Hyderabad (+80%) leading the pack, followed closely by Delhi-NCR (+72%) and Chennai (+67%).
Hospitality’s bull run continues; fresher hiring up 44%
The Hospitality sector recorded a +22% YoY rise in August, sustaining the strong trajectory it has shown through most of 2025, with seven of the past eight months registering positive growth. In August, Delhi-NCR (+41%) and Chennai (+19%) were the key contributors. The sector also emerged as a fresher hiring hub, posting a +44% YoY increase in entry-level hiring.
Hyderabad Powers Ahead in Startup and Unicorn Hiring
Hyderabad marked three consecutive months of positive growth in startup and unicorn hiring, solidifying its position as a key player in India’s innovation ecosystem. In August, Startup hiring in the city climbed +30% YoY, far outpacing the overall +3% increase. Unicorns showed even greater traction with a +45% YoY rise.
Insurance hiring surges, led by metros
The Insurance sector posted a +24% YoY rise in August, with Kolkata (+36%) and Delhi-NCR (+30%) driving this growth. Mid-level professionals in the 4-7 year cohort (+34%) led the surge, followed by freshers (+25%) and professionals in the 8-12 year band (+16%).
Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri, said,
“In August, two trends stand out. One being that non-IT sectors continue to anchor job-market growth, a pattern visible over recent months. The other, interestingly, is Hyderabad’s emergence as a hotbed of startup hiring, making it the leading metro in terms of overall job growth.”
