Archive · 10 Nov 2025
India's White-Collar Hiring Slows in October Amid Festive Season
Imagine a big party for jobs in India, but in October, fewer people were hiring for regular office jobs because it was a holiday season.
Some special jobs, like those in technology and finance, were still in high demand, especially jobs related to AI.
Meanwhile, many workers are trying to learn new skills.
Young people, called Gen Z, and recent graduates are learning a lot, especially about AI.
Older workers are focusing more on skills they already know.
This means companies need to help everyone learn in different ways.
India's white-collar hiring activity saw a 9% year-on-year dip in October 2025 due to the festive season.
Sectors like accounting, finance, education, and BPO/ITES experienced positive hiring growth.
Demand for AI/ML roles surged by 33% year-on-year, with machine learning engineer roles seeing a 139% increase.
Ninety-six percent of Indian white-collar professionals have upskilled in the past year, with Gen Z and fresh graduates leading.
Generational differences in skilling priorities are apparent, with younger workers focusing on AI and older generations on traditional expertise.
- Who
- India's white-collar professionals and employers
- What
- White-collar hiring activity slowed in October 2025, with varied skilling priorities across different generations.
- When
- October 2025 and the past year
- Where
- India
- Why
- The slowdown in hiring was attributed to the Diwali-Dussehra festive cluster. Differing skilling priorities are driven by generational differences and the evolving technological landscape.
- Hiring Dip (YoY)
- 9%
- AI/ML Hiring Growth (YoY)
- 33%
- Machine Learning Engineer Hiring Surge (YoY)
- 139%
- Upskilling Professionals
- 96%
- Gen Z Upskilling
- 61%
- Fresh Graduates Upskilling
- 63%