Mumbai, Jan 23 (PTI) The Indian white-collar job market is expected to remain on a positive trajectory as 76 per cent of recruiters expect new job creation during the first half of this year, mainly led
by healthcare and manufacturing sectors, a report said on Friday.
Around 76 per cent of recruiters predict new job creation, a 4 percentage point increase from 72 per cent in H2 2025, and moving beyond replacement hiring to indicate continued expansion across industries, according to Naukri bi-annual Hiring Outlook survey.
While the sentiment is positive across the board, Healthcare and Manufacturing are expected to lead new job creation.
Around 88 per cent of healthcare recruiters and 79 per cent of manufacturing recruiters predict the creation of new roles in H1 2026.
The Naukri bi-annual Hiring Outlook survey is based on inputs from over 1,250 recruiters.
Further, the survey has revealed that the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector is likely to show a relatively conservative yet strong outlook, with 70 per cent of recruiters predicting new job creation.
In the IT sector, 76 per cent of recruiters anticipate new roles, reflecting sustained demand in tech-driven areas.
Meanwhile, overall the IT and Business Development roles are expected to witness the highest hiring activity during H1 2026, with 45 per cent recruiters in each sector anticipating the same.
According to the survey, the BFSI sector will focus on financial roles, the manufacturing sector will prioritize operations and supply chain hiring, while the healthcare sector will look to strengthen marketing functions.
The revealed that despite the high hiring intent, finding the right fit is considered the most challenging aspect of hiring, with 'Alignment of Skills' emerging as the biggest challenge across sectors.
The IT sector may remain an outlier, where 'Budget Constraints' is likely to be the primary hurdle for recruiters, though this has eased slightly this year.
Meanwhile, it found that more than 75 per cent of recruiters from across sectors anticipate attrition to remain below 15 per cent in the next six months, with 55 per cent expecting it to stay under 10 per cent, with IT roles expected to witness the highest churn, followed by Business Development and Marketing.
On the compensation front, around 75 per cent of recruiters anticipate salary increments in the range of 5-15 per cent, a trend expected to remain consistent across sectors.
Breaking it down, 11 per cent of recruiters predict increments below 5 per cent (flat as compared to H2 2025), 48 per cent expect 5-10 per cent, and 25 per cent foresee 10-15 per cent, it stated.
On AI, the survey found that despite widespread concerns about AI-driven job losses, 87 per cent of recruiters believe AI will not have a significant impact on overall employment.
In fact, compared to the previous Hiring Outlook survey, where 13 per cent of recruiters predicted AI-led job creation, 18 per cent of recruiters now expect AI to create new roles, mainly across IT, Analytics, and Marketing.
"The H1 2026 Hiring Outlook reflects sustained confidence in India's job market. Importantly, AI is emerging as a catalyst for new role creation, especially in technology, analytics, and marketing functions. This evolution highlights the importance of continuous upskilling as organizations prepare for the next phase of workforce transformation," Naukri.com Chief Business Officer Dr Pawan Goyal added. PTI SM MR
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