Naukri’s JobSpeak Index reported the highest hiring activity for February this year owing to a resurgence of positive sentiment among employers and job seekers. The index saw an increase of 31 per cent on a year-on-year basis. It reached 3074 from its previous peak of 2753 in September last year. The demand for mid to senior-level professionals with experience within the range of 13 to 16 years showed the highest surge at 35 per cent on a year-on-year basis. 

While there was a steady growth observed across all sectors as the economy gradually opened up, insurance and retail sectors saw the sharpest uptick since last year with 74 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively. The IT and software services sector increased by 41 per cent, banking and financial services grew by 35 per cent, while pharma grew by 34 per cent. The auto industry finally shook off its stagnancy to show a recovery of 12 per cent. 

Among top tier cities, Kolkata saw a 56 per cent rise in hiring on a year-on-year basis, while Bengaluru came in second with 49 per cent. Mumbai and Chennai both increased by 45 per cent, and Hyderabad stood at fourth place with 43 per cent. Pune was a close fifth with 41 per cent, and Delhi lagged at 30 per cent.