The hiring of blue collar workers in India is resurging in 2021 as the vaccination rollout continues and optimism in the economic recovery rises, according to a survey of employers by HR tech platform OLX People.

The survey found that 50% of respondents say that they are optimistic about the economic recovery within the year. While 36% say they are uncertain and expect the economy to show slow growth.

Furthermore, nearly 60% of employers say that their business is doing fine; 24% expect their businesses to recover by the end of 2021 and 13% say that recovery is in sight over the next few months. This overall positive sentiment reflects in the resurgence of hiring of blue collar workers.

Meanwhile, more than 70% of employers polled in the survey confirm that they have resumed hiring for blue collar job roles. Among these, nearly 16% are hiring at 100% of capacity, while 54% are hiring up to 50% of capacity.

The surprisingly positive sentiments expressed in the survey come at a time when India is experiencing a new wave of coronavirus infections that is far worse than the first with an ongoing escalation in spread. This week, India become the second-worst country affected globally with a total of over 13.68 million cases.

More than half, or 60% of employers state that they have faced no challenges in the availability of talent, despite the fact that a large number of gig workers had preferred to return to their native home at the height of the pandemic.

Blue collar jobs will continue to see demand, employers say. Despite automation, 92% of all respondents do not see its impact on the role of blue collar workers while 50% of these respondents said that the demand for these roles will continue to be very strong.

Soft skills are most in demand for entry-level and blue collar jobs. Employers say that they would prioritise communication skills (47%) followed by functional skills (35%) when hiring for these roles.

“With employers optimistic about the general recovery of the economy, buoyed by the mass scale vaccination drive and a large number of businesses getting back to work, the positive hiring sentiment for blue collar workers is a steady and longer term shift,” Tarun Sinha, CEO, OLX People said. “The pandemic while leaving a trail of disaster in its wake, has also catalysed some much needed changes such as social security benefits for blue collar workers. The new normal will be one of new possibilities for both employers and blue collar employees.”