Indian companies plan to hire at a steady pace in the third quarter of 2018, as per the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey of 5,110 employers. 

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey revealed a net employment outlook of +17%, with the services and wholesale & retail trade sectors expected to grow by 20% each, followed by public administration and education at +18%. The sectors expected to drive the job market include services, wholesale & retail, finance, and manufacturing. 

AG Rao, Group Managing Director of ManpowerGroup India stated, “While the focus is on technology, skill development, and new jobs, India’s job market is seeing a new trend emerging. Corporate India’s hiring intention is slowly catching up. Automation and digital transformation is playing the key role.” 

As per Rao, the wholesale & retail trade sector, which is among the top employers in India, is expected to create even more jobs in the coming years on account of the government’s move to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in various forms, coupled with the growing consumer demand.

As far as major trends that will drive recruitment in 2018 are concerned, diversity, automated recruitment, virtual reality and remote working options figure at the top. In addition, the HR industry is also trending towards a marketing approach to hiring to attract the right talent, Rao added.

Besides the wholesale & retail trade and services sector, other major sectors expected to generate employment opportunities include manufacturing, public administration, and education. However, the least job opportunities are likely to be in transportation and utilities sector. 

Meanwhile, as per the survey, employment opportunities are expected to increase in all four regions of the country with the north and south leading with the highest outlook of +18%, while employers in the east and the west are expected to post a steady outlook of 16%.