New Delhi, February 2: White-collar jobs in India saw a 3 percent increase in January 2026 compared to last year, driven mainly by growth in non-IT sectors and freshers’ recruitment. This steady rise marks a positive start to the year for office-based employment.
The latest Jobspeak Index report released on Monday highlighted that non-IT sectors were the main contributors to this growth. The BPO/ITES sector recorded over 21 percent growth, hospitality and travel saw more than 15 percent increase, insurance grew by over 7 percent, and healthcare rose by more than 5 percent.
However, banking and financial services experienced a decline of 15 percent year-on-year. The IT sector remained largely stable with no significant change, but jobs related to AI and machine learning showed a robust increase of over 34 percent.
The BPO/ITES sector has consistently been among the top five sectors with double-digit annual growth for the past three months. In January, fresher recruitment in this sector jumped 39 percent, while hiring for professionals with 13 to 16 years of experience increased by 9 percent.
Non-metro cities played a key role in this hiring surge. Jaipur saw recruitment rise by over 66 percent, and Ahmedabad recorded more than 43 percent growth.
Foreign multinational companies also contributed significantly, with their hiring activities increasing by over 80 percent.
Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer at Naukri.com, said the steady annual growth in sectors like BPO/ITES and hospitality is encouraging. He noted that these sectors have started 2026 on a strong and positive note, and the good performance of Indian IT MNCs is a positive sign for the job market.
Geographically, Pune led the recruitment increase with over 23 percent growth, followed by Chennai at 18 percent, Bengaluru at 17 percent, and Ahmedabad at 16 percent. This shows that major cities in South India and emerging markets in Western India are making significant contributions.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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