Staffing requirements in India rose by 23% between April and August 2023 compared with the same period last year, with close to 32,000 jobs posted in this period, reports the Hindu Business Line, citing research from Indian staffing firm Quess Corp. In line with the surge in demand for the festival season, the sectors that saw improved hiring are BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), M&I (mergers and inquisitions), retail, and telecom.

“Despite inflation and profitability pressures, segments such as manufacturing, BFSI, and retail have reflected remarkable growth. We expect this trend to magnify each month by at least 5,000 as we inch closer to peak festival season, especially across industries impacted by direct consumers such as e-commerce, logistics, and automobiles,” said Lohit Bhatia, President, Workforce Management, Quess Corp. The manufacturing and industrial segment has noted a 245% growth in demand for professionals between April and August 2023 (compared with April–August 2022). The BFSI industry noted a 27% increase in demand for manpower ahead of the festival season, followed by Telecom (more than 14%), with the massive digitisation efforts with the launch of 5G having contributed to job creation in the sector.

Meanwhile, metro cities have seen maximum demand for new and emerging roles, charting a similar trend to a year ago.