Online hiring activity in India increased by 32% in June 2015 compared with the same month last year, according to the Monster Employment Index. The increase in June was the biggest year-on-year rise in online recruitment activity for at least a year-and-a-half.

The index, a monthly gauge of the country’s online job demand, rose to 202; up by 5.8% from 191 in May 2015, and an increase of 32% from 153 in June 2014. 

The Banking/Financial Services/ Insurance (BFSI) sector reported the strongest growth between June 2014 and 2015, with a rise of 72%. It was followed by strong growth of 67% in Production & Manufacturing, and 61% growth in IT Hardware & Software.

The sharpest decline was in the Chemicals/Plastic/Rubber/Paints/Fertiliser/Pesticides sector, which reported a decrease in hiring activity of 29%.

Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, for Monster.com for India, Middle-East, South-East Asia and Hong Kong, commented: “The monster Employment Index reveals that the online recruitment in India has certainly grown at an escalating pace.”

All of India’s 13 major metropolitan areas reported growth in June 2015, compared with the same month last year. The strongest growth was reported in Kochi (47%), Coimbatore (42%), and Bangalore (41%).