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CapitalVia Research Desk ·
Insights · 25 Sep 2026
Naukri JobSpeak · August 2026

India's white-collar hiring grew

14%

year on year in August 2026. The JobSpeak index hit 3,028, up from 2,664 a year earlier. And the fastest-growing group isn't freshers or AI hubs — it's people with 13 to 16 years behind them.

Who got hired: growth by experience band

Year-on-year change in hiring activity, August 2026

0–3 yrs (freshers)
+15%
4–7 yrs
+10%slowest band
8–12 yrs
+16%
13–16 yrs
+18%fastest band
16+ yrs
+13%
+18%

Mid-career is the fastest lane. The 13–16-year band grew faster than freshers (+15%) and the 8–12 band (+16%). In AI/ML roles specifically, hiring for 16+ years' experience more than doubled.

Where the jobs grew: city by city

Year-on-year change in hiring, August 2026 · metros and emerging cities

Bhubaneswaremerging
+32%fastest city
Hyderabadmetro
+23%
Raipuremerging
+23%
Kolkatametro
+22%
Suratemerging
+21%
Chennaimetro
+20%
Ranchiemerging
+19%
Bengalurumetro
+14%
Punemetro
+14%
Delhi NCRmetro
+10%
Mumbaimetro
+7%slowest metro

Which sectors: non-IT leads, IT follows

Year-on-year change in hiring, August 2026

AI / ML roles
+31%
Auto
+19%
Healthcare
+16%
Retail
+15%
Insurance
+12%
IT / Software
+11%
Banking
+10%
FMCG
+10%
BPO / ITES
+8%
Real estate
+8%
Pharma / Biotech
flat
Hospitality / Travel
-4%
Education
-8%
−8%0+31%

What this means for you

SalariedIf you're 13–16 years in, the market wants you more than it wants freshers. Now is a strong window to benchmark your pay against the market.
FoundersHiring is growing fastest outside Mumbai and Delhi. Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Surat and Ranchi all grew 19–32%.
LeadersAuto, healthcare and retail are out-hiring IT. Expect attrition pressure on your experienced, non-tech middle layer.
Read the 14% with care. Naukri itself notes a larger part of the festive season fell in August last year and shifted to September this year, so the year-on-year base is soft. June's growth was 6% and press reports put July at 5%.
capitalvia.com

Source: Naukri JobSpeak Index, August 2026 (Info Edge India Ltd; dateline 7 Sep 2026, published 11 Sep 2026) — naukri.com/blog. All figures are Naukri's published year-on-year percentages; the 14% headline is confirmed by the index values (3,028 ÷ 2,664 = 1.137). June's 6% is from Naukri's June 2026 release; July's 5% is as reported by the press from Naukri's July release.

Estimates: none of the charted figures is an estimate; the only second-hand number is July's 5%. The JobSpeak index measures job postings on Naukri.com, not total employment.

A data explainer for general education. Not investment, tax or legal advice.

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