In 2023, India's blue-collar workforce witnessed a 7.4% surge in hiring, with sectors like logistics, construction, real estate, tourism, and hospitality leading in job opportunities. Kolkata emerged as the top metro city in hiring growth, followed by Pune and Chandigarh among tier 2 cities, attributed to factors like SMB growth, urbanization, infrastructure development, and a cost-effective labor market, per Indeed, a global hiring platform.
Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India, highlighted the significance of upskilling in the tech-driven landscape for a promising future. The trend in hiring reflected a preference for GenZ talent among blue-collar employers and millennials among white-collar ones, emphasizing digital literacy (27%) and physical strength (83%) as primary skills sought after by employers.
Moreover, the report indicated a shift towards integrating AI, with 42% of employers planning AI integration in 2024, and 19% already having implemented it. This readiness to adopt next-gen technologies signifies a forward-looking approach among employers in India's evolving job market.
Key Points:
1. In 2023, India witnessed a 7.4% rise in hiring within the blue-collar workforce, with sectors like logistics, construction, real estate, tourism, and hospitality offering significant job opportunities.
2. Kolkata emerged as the leading metro city in terms of increased hiring, followed closely by Pune and Chandigarh among tier 2 cities, reflecting substantial progress in job availability.
3. Factors such as SMB growth, urbanization, infrastructure development, service sector expansion, and a cost-effective labor market are fueling job growth in these cities, according to Indeed, a global matching and hiring platform.
4. Sashi Kumar, Indeed India's Head of Sales, highlighted the need for upskilling among job seekers, emphasizing the importance of technology adoption by organizations for a promising future.
5. The preference for GenZ talent (below 26 years) was observed among 49% of blue-collar employers, while white-collar employers leaned towards recruiting millennials (27-41 years), accounting for 41%.
6. Digital literacy (27%) and physical strength (83%) are key hard and soft skills sought by employers when hiring in the blue-collar sector.
7. The preference for millennial recruits among white-collar employers suggests a need for nuanced skills and experience in certain tasks, as noted in the report.
8. Employers are increasingly open to embracing next-generation technologies, with 42% planning to initiate AI integration in 2024 through small steps, and 19% already implementing such advancements.
9. The willingness of employers to integrate AI signifies an evolving landscape, indicating a readiness to leverage technology for operational enhancements.
10. The trends in hiring point towards a dynamic job market, highlighting the growing significance of skill sets, technological adaptation, and nuanced approaches towards recruiting across different sectors and age groups.
(With Agency Inputs)
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