White-collar hiring in India decreased by 8% in March 2024 compared to March 2023, according to the latest Naukri JobSpeak Index.

March's data showed the Naukri JobSpeak Index stood at 2,657. This was a 4% dip compared to the previous month.

The report showed that hiring in the oil & gas sector increased by 22% in March 2024 compared to last year, with maximum demand for MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineers & electrical engineers.

Meanwhile, hiring for AI and machine learning roles in India saw a 12% rise in new job creation compared to March 2023. Data from the Index found that hiring for roles such as machine learning engineer soared by 82%. Full-stack data scientist roles also reported a 20% growth in hiring activity compared to last year.

By experience, the report showed senior professionals with more than 16 years of experience saw the highest hiring activity, with a growth of 11% in March 2024 against the prior year.

On the other hand, entry-level professionals saw an 11% dip when compared to March 2023.

"With the baseline correction behind us and a few bright spots visible in March, positive trends in coming quarters seem quite plausible. Demand for seasoned professionals & Indian AI/ML talent should give everyone lots to cheer for," said Dr Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer of Naukri.com.