Job market enters 2025 on a steady footing White-collar hiring rises 4% in Jan, led by FMCG & insurance

India’s white-collar job market kicked off 2025 on a positive note, recording a 4% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in hiring, according to Naukri’s JobSpeak Index. This growth was largely driven by FMCG, Insurance and Pharma, which helped offset sluggish hiring in IT.

The emergence of new job hubs, a rebound in retail hiring, and strong demand for mid-level professionals signal a dynamic shift in the employment landscape.Hiring remained strong in FMCG (+16%), Insurance (+15%) and Pharma (+11%), boosting the overall index to 2,550 points, according to the report.