Corporate India report strongest hiring outlook globally for Jan-Mar 2025 ManpowerGroup survey

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) Employers in India reported the strongest employment outlook for the January-March period next year, with 40 per cent corporates aiming to increase their staffing levels over the next three months, the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey said on Tuesday.
     The survey, which gathered data from more than 3,000 employers across various regions of India, revealed that 53 per cent of employers plan to hire, while 13 per cent anticipate a decrease in their staffing levels in the the first quarter of the 2025 calendar year and 31 per cent do not expect any change.
     The net employment outlook (NEO) -- calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers who anticipate reductions in staffing levels from those who plan to hire -- after seasonal adjustment stood at 40 per cent, strengthened 3 percentage points from both last quarter and year-on-year.
     "India remains one of the world's fastest-growing large economies, with its position as the global leader in employment outlook for Q1 2025 highlighting the confidence of employers in the country's economic trajectory," said Sandeep Gulati, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India and Middle East.
     India had the highest net employment projection, at 40 per cent; the US came in second, at 34 per cent, and Mexico at 32 per cent. The employment forecast for Argentina was the worst, at -1 per cent, while the global average was 25 per cent.
     Businesses in the IT industry reported the brightest outlook at 50 per cent, followed by financials and real estate at 44 per cent and consumer goods and services at 40 per cent.
     "Significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI), along with public funding, has benefitted the IT sector's employment market, resulting in the sector leading with an outlook of 50 per cent," Gulati said.
     Year-on-year, job markets have strengthened in all four regions of the country. The strongest outlook among the regions comes from west (43 per cent) increasing 4 per cent from the previous quarter, closely followed by east (41 per cent).
     "With strong contributions from financials and real estate, and year-on-year growth across all regions, India's job market continues to reflect resilience and adaptability amid an uncertain global landscape. Larger organisations are driving this momentum, signalling sustained opportunities for talent across the country," Gulati said.
     Gulati further noted that investment from MNCs looking to reduce their operation cost appears to be benefitting India, and the outlook for 2025 looks more positive.
     "Economic growth is likely to pick up with increasing consumer spending as inflation potentially subsides, and agricultural output is likely to improve after favourable monsoon conditions. In this mixed environment, India's employment expectations are expected to grow slightly," he said.
     The survey further noted that over the past year, more companies have made progress toward gender equality. Around 30 per cent of companies say they have already fully achieved gender equality, compared to 21 per cent a year ago.
     Across the Asia-Pacific countries, India, China, and Singapore reported the strongest hiring outlook at 40 per cent, 29 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, the weakest hiring activity was reported by Hong Kong at 6 per cent, followed by Australia (11 per cent) and Japan (15 per cent), the survey added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)