New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) India’s white‑collar job market closed the financial year on a strong note, with fresher hiring surging 16 per cent YOY, with growth distributed across both metro and non-metro markets, a report said on Monday.

The report from Naukri said non‑IT sectors anchored job market expansion, led by hospitality with 21 per cent year‑on‑year growth, followed by BPO or ITES at 18 per cent, oil & gas and education each at 15 per cent, and real estate at 14 per cent.

It cited a JobSpeak Index which touched 2,858 in March, up 9 per cent year‑on‑year.

“This strong performance cemented an annual growth of over 8 per cent for FY26, a significant jump from the over 2 per cent growth recorded in FY25,” the report noted.

Hiring for freshers in the salary bracket earning over Rs 20 lakh per annum grew by an impressive 23 per cent YOY.

IT hiring remained flat, while AI or ML roles witnessed a sharp growth of over 37 per cent in March and over 45 per cent for the full fiscal.

Demand for talent in the above-Rs 20 LPA salary band expanded more than 16 per cent. Unicorn hiring also emerged as a bright spot which witnessed over 24 per cent YOY surge.

AI/ML hiring grew over 37 per cent YoY in March, but the demand distribution was skewed to high pay earners.

Growth was steepest at the highest salary levels, with employees earning over Rs 50 LPA leading at over 55 per cent, Rs 40-49 LPA saw over 40 per cent growth and Rs 30-39 LPA saw more than 41 per cent growth.

Regionally, Kolkata led AI/ML hiring with over 56 per cent YOY growth, and Delhi NCR followed at over 44 per cent – both outpacing the established tech hubs of Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Service-driven non-IT sectors such as hospitality, education, and BPO/ITES witnessed remarkable resilience throughout FY26.

—IANS

aar/pk