Overall job vacancies for the blue-collar workforce in India registered a 7% growth year-on-year in March to 5.71 million, mainly driven by requirements in the security services, according to a report by Billion Careers, a subsidiary of Quess Corp.

The 5.71 million figure was up from 5.33 million the year prior. According to the report, the requirement for security service jobs has tripled over the past year and shown a 219% increase on a year-on-year basis.

Billion Careers noted that the rise in security services in the blue-collar workforce indicates the importance of maintaining a safe and secure work environment.

Meanwhile, admin and human resource job categories witnessed a rise of approximately 62% year-on-year, demonstrating strong demand for HR professionals across various industries.

“Despite the changing economic climate, there is an increasing demand for blue-collar workers, especially in the HR/admin and security service job roles. This surge reflects a growing need for skilled professionals who can manage various aspects of the workplace," Billion Careers CEO Amit Nigam said.

According to Nigam, this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with more companies realising the importance of investing in talent management and securing the workspace to improve their overall business performance.

Meanwhile, by city, Delhi recorded the highest year-on-year increase in the blue-collar workforce of 54%. The surge in demand is due to the growing e-commerce and delivery industry and the increasing investment in the logistics and warehousing sector in the region.

The data also found that men continue to dominate the blue-collar industry in India, with an 84% share of the workforce as of March 2023, the report said, adding that this figure remains high despite efforts towards gender equality.