India’s job market set for a hiring surge in early 2025

India’s white-collar job market is poised for an upswing in the first half of 2025, with 96% of employers expressing confidence in increased hiring activity, according to a new Hiring Outlook survey by recruitment platform, Naukri.com.

This marks a rise from 92% in 2024, signaling stronger demand for talent.

The biannual survey gauged insights from over 1,200 employers.


A key trend emerging from the survey is a shift in hiring strategies.

Among optimistic employers, 58% are adopting a two-pronged approach—both creating fresh positions and filling existing roles—up from 48% last year.

Another 18% plan to focus solely on new job creation, while 20% are prioritizing replacement hiring.

Layoffs, meanwhile, are expected to decline further, with only 2% of employers foreseeing workforce reductions, down from 3% last year.

IT roles are set to dominate hiring in 2025, with 37% of employers prioritizing these positions—a significant jump from 24% in 2024.

However, retaining talent remains a challenge, as 42% of employers anticipate high attrition in IT roles.

Professionals with 3-8 years of experience are expected to be the most sought-after talent pool, accounting for 58% of hiring activity, up from 53% last year. The demand reflects companies' need for employees who bring both fresh perspectives and hands-on expertise.

To attract and retain talent, companies are ready to spend more.

Over half (54%) of employers plan to offer double-digit salary hikes, while 39% expect increments in the 5-10% range. Fresh graduates, too, have reason to be optimistic, with 34% of employers confirming that campus hiring will continue as planned, up from 30% last year.

Pawan Goyal, chief business officer at Naukri.com, noted that the strong hiring outlook is backed by substantial salary hikes and a renewed focus on both new job creation and replacement hiring. "While attrition remains a concern in early career brackets, the planned increments and stable campus hiring trends indicate that employers are prioritising retention and long-term workforce planning," he said.

Despite the positive hiring sentiment, companies face notable roadblocks.

While a quarter of employers report struggling with talent shortages, 27% cite budget constraints as the biggest hiring challenge. Another 22% find it difficult to match candidates to increasingly specific skill requirements.

Employee movement is expected to pick up pace in 2025. The proportion of employers expecting attrition below 5% has dropped from 23% last year to 17% this year, while 34% predict churn in the 5-10% range.

Mid-level professionals with 3-5 years of experience are the most likely job switchers (33%), followed by those with 1-3 years of experience (26%).