The number of open job positions in India at the end of April dropped 31% from March to touch the lowest level in 2021, reports the Economic Times, citing data from LinkedIn and direct postings on top job boards. According to data from Xpheno, the count of active jobs barely reached the 200,000 mark in April, down from 290,000 in March. This was sharper than the 18% drop in active job vacancies in the same period last year, when a nationwide lockdown was in force. “The sharp drop in active jobs is a panic response that’s way above what we witnessed last year when lockdowns began. This response will create a notable hiring backlog as enterprises were full-on with their hiring plans for the new FY,” Kamal Karanth, cofounder of Xpheno, said. April’s figures are still higher than the lowest active job numbers in the past year, which were 132,000 in June and 142,000 in July. India’s job market, which was on the path of recovery, was thrown into a state of panic in April as the second Covid-19 wave spiralled across the country and lockdowns re-emerged in various states.