Online job-seekers rise 71%: IAMAI survey

The number of Indians seeking jobs over the Internet are on the rise, with the total number of online jobhunters touching 6.5 million in 2005-06, 71 per cent rise over the previous year.

The number of online job seekers is expected to cross 9.2 million this year (2006-07), according to a survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Online job search is one of the top five online activities that Indians indulge in, next to e-mail, surfing, chatting and search. Fuelled by rising Internet penetration and 38.5 million users, e-recruitment is gaining ground as a preferred hiring medium in India, IAMAI said.

For job seekers, the Internet has opened up the world of job hunting, turning it into a 24-hour-a-day marketplace. Internet is arguably the most immediate, convenient and comprehensive medium for employment seekers, it said.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, IAMAI president Subho Ray said, "For job seekers, the internet eliminates the disadvantages of location, cost and time. For recruiters, it provides easy access to the best talent at a competitive cost. Given the obvious advantages, this segment is set to grow at a scorching pace."

IAMAI also estimates that the market size of the country's online recruitment industry would touch Rs 241 crore in 2006-07, against Rs 145 crore posted in 2005-06. The industry is also likely to maintain a year-on"�year growth of over 60 per cent, according to the survey.

Maharashtra topped the list of online job seekers with 26 per cent, followed by Delhi (17 per cent), Tamil Nadu (13 per cent), Karnataka (8 per cent) and West Bengal (6 per cent).

Mumbai and Delhi topped with 17 per cent each, followed by Chennai (7 per cent), while Kolkata and Bangalore were in third position with 5 per cent each.

The survey also stated that junior (15 per cent), mid-level (25 per cent), and senior executives (12 per cent), accounted for over 50 per cent of the online job seekers

With 38 per cent of the respondents who use the Internet for job search are in the 18-25 age group, 43 per cent in the 26-35 age group, 13 per cent in the 36-45 age group and 5 per cent were in the 46-60 age group.