AI-ML hiring grows 25% in May, IT sector records 5% decline: Report

The Naukri JobSpeak May 2025 report indicates a significant shift in hiring trends within the IT sector. In May 2025, hiring in the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) sector witnessed a 25% YoY growth. However, the broader Information Technology sector experienced a 5% decline in job opportunities compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Hyderabad and Kochi recorded hiring growth of 7% and 8%, respectively, largely driven by senior-level hiring. Pune also saw a 4% overall hiring increase, primarily due to a 26% rise in hiring by startups. The report highlights that in an otherwise stable job market, AI/ML hiring continued to show strong momentum across major cities, alongside a steady demand for senior professionals. This trend has remained consistent over the past year.
In addition to the IT sector, other industries, such as real estate and insurance, emerged as relatively bright spots with 5% and 6% growth, respectively. However, hiring in retail, telecom/ISP, and banking, finance & broking declined by 8-9%. Notably, unicorns in banking and financial services ramped up hiring by 29%. The JobSpeak index, based on job listings and hiring activity on the Naukri platform, calculates hiring trends by analysing new job listings, job applications, and recruiter activity across various industries, cities, and experience levels.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.