5 days ago
Hiring plans steady in India Inc for Q3 FY25: Report
India's job market remains strong heading into the second quarter of FY26, with Indian employers continuing to show one of the most optimistic hiring intentions to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS) for Q3 2025, which reflects hiring sentiment for the July–September period, India reported a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of 42%, among the highest report is based on interviews with over 40,000 employers across 42 countries and territories. It measures the difference between the percentage of employers planning to increase headcount and those expecting to reduce SECOND ONLY TO UAE IN HIRING OUTLOOKIndia ranked second globally, behind the UAE, which reported the strongest hiring sentiment with a NEO of 48%. Costa Rica followed with 41%. India's NEO rose by 12 percentage points year-on-year, signalling confidence among employers despite global economic uncertainty.
Hiring in India in September quarter to remain strong. (Image: ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey)
In the Asia-Pacific region, India led the hiring momentum, with countries like China (28%) and Singapore (24%) trailing. The global average NEO stood at 24%, reflecting a slight dip of one percentage point from the previous quarter, but still two percentage points higher than the same period last Technology continued to show the brightest outlook globally, with a NEO of 36%. In India, the Financials and Real Estate sector stood out, posting the strongest global hiring outlook for that industry at 43%. Other sectors in India showing strong hiring plans included Industrials and Materials (26%), and Energy and Utilities (28%).Employers said company growth remained the main driver of hiring plans, with 37% stating they were expanding teams due to business expansion. Other reasons included the need for new skills, technological advancements, and evolving service CHALLENGES BEHIND HIRING REDUCTIONSAmong employers globally who plan to reduce staff, 34% cited economic challenges as the top reason. Other reasons included shifting market demands, automation, and restructuring. About 21% said automation had made certain roles outlooks were strongest among large employers. Companies with 1,000 to 4,999 employees reported a NEO of +29%, while those with more than 5,000 employees followed closely with +27%. Small firms with fewer than 50 employees reported lower confidence, with a NEO of +16%.AUTOMATION INVESTMENTS AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGESAround 61% of employers globally said they are increasing investment in automation, especially in sectors like IT, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and operations. At the same time, 57% of companies said they are future-proofing their workforce as they prepare for the retirement of older survey also noted that global trade uncertainties were affecting hiring decisions, with 89% of companies acknowledging that trade-related risks are influencing their workforce data suggests that while India Inc remains upbeat on hiring, broader challenges like automation, rising costs, and global volatility may shape how companies plan their talent strategies in the coming quarters.
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