Hiring Activities Decline by 61% in May Due to Lockdown: Report

Mumbai, June 9: Hiring activities declined by 61 per cent in May due to the nationwide lockdown to contain COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report. This is the second consecutive month of more than 60 per cent decline in hiring activities. Recruitment declined 61 per cent to 910 job postings in May compared to 2,346 in the same month last year, according to NaukriJobSpeak Index.

NaukriJobSpeak is a monthly index, which calculates and records hiring activities based on the job listings on Naukri.com. The report further revealed that the May decline in hiring is led by industries like hotel, restaurant, travel, airlines (91 per cent), retail (87 per cent), auto, ancillary (76 per cent) and BFSI (70 per cent). COVID-19 Impact: Hiring Plans for Q3 in India Weakest in Past 15 Years, Says Survey.

The job market across cities registered a double-digit dip of more than 50 per cent, it added. In metros, Kolkata declined by 68 per cent followed by Delhi (67 per cent) and Mumbai (67 per cent). Decline in recruitment activities in Kolkata was mainly led by auto and ancillary (98 per cent) and hospitality (94 per cent) sectors.

All experience bands recorded a negative growth and the demand for professionals in the hospitality and accounting sectors saw a decline of 96 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile in Delhi and NCR, hiring activities in the hospitality and accounting industries saw a dip by 94 per cent and 81 per cent, respectively.

Recruitment activities across all experience levels saw a negative double-digit growth, it added. In Mumbai, hiring in the hospitality and auto sectors slipped 93 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively, the report said. The recruitment activity across experience levels witnessed a fall of an average 64 per cent, it added.

The entry-level experience bands (0 to 3 years) saw the sharpest decline of 66 per cent. The hiring for senior-level executives (4-7 years) fell 62 per cent, while in middle management (8-12 years) roles it declined by 55 per cent, senior management (13-16 years) by 50 per cent and leadership roles (over 16 years) by 48 per cent, it added.

Even as the hiring activities are down, more than 50 per cent of job seekers are utilising the time at hand due to the lockdown for self-development and career advancement, as per the latest Naukri survey conducted with 50,000 job seekers.

Data science and analytics courses at 22 per cent followed by digital marketing (20 per cent) and finance and risk management (16 per cent) were among the top courses being picked up by job seekers to up-skill themselves, it added.

"The extension of the lockdown has resulted in a continued decline in hiring activities for the third consecutive month. In a recently conducted survey with recruiters and HR heads, about 39 per cent said critical hiring is still taking place and we are seeing the same on the site with industries like pharmaceuticals, healthcare, insurance and IT-software posting jobs during the lockdown," Naukri.com Chief Business Officer Pawan Goyal added.