Robust hiring plans in India in Oct-Dec quarter

Hiring intentions are seen improving in five of the seven industry sectors

Indian employers have reported the most optimistic hiring plans in the world for October-December quarter, as per a ManpowerGroup survey. The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today said that the outlook remain positive in all sectors and regions

The survey of 5,047 employers across India indicated that Indian employers expect the hiring pace to remain robust in the October-December time frame.

The most optimistic hiring plans are reported by employers in the Wholesale & Retail Trade sector and the Transportation & Utilities sector where the Net Employment Outlook stand at 45 per cent (plus) and 44 per cent (plus), respectively. From a regional perspective, employers in the Eastern region anticipate the most opportunities for job seekers in the months ahead, reporting a Net Employment Outlook of 42 per cent (plus).

"Looking at the current positive outlook of the economy, e-commerce giants are in the process of ramping up workforce across various functions, particularly engineers and other specialists with an intention to be technology, product and engineering-driven companies," said A G Rao, Group Managing Director at ManpowerGroup India.

Job gains are expected in all seven industry sectors during the October-December period. Employers report the strongest hiring plans in the Wholesale & Retail Trade sector and the Transportation & Utilities sector, with Net Employment Outlooks of +45 per cent and +44 per cent, respectively.

Services sector employers also anticipated dynamic hiring activity with an Outlook of +42 per cent, while bullish Outlooks of +41 per cent are reported in both the Manufacturing sector and the Public Administration & Education sector.

The survey said that employers reported weaker hiring plans in five of the seven industry sectors when compared with same quarter of last calendar year.

Quarter-over-quarter, hiring intentions improved in five of the seven industry sectors. Meanwhile, hiring intentions remain relatively stable in both the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector and the Mining & Construction sector.

Employers in all four regions report an increase in staffing levels during quarter 4 of 2015. The strongest labour market is anticipated in the East with a Net Employment Outlook standing at +42 per cent.

Year-over-year, hiring plans weaken considerably in two regions. The Outlook for the South declines by 12 percentage points while a decrease of 9 percentage points is reported in the West. However, employers report a considerable improvement of 12 percentage points in the East while the Outlook for the North remains relatively stable.

ManpowerGroup interviewed nearly 59,000 employers across 42 countries and territories to forecast Quarter 4 2015 labour market activity.