India Leads the Global Employment Outlook: Strong Hiring Sentiments Mark Q1 2025

India ranks first globally for its employment outlook, exceeding the global average by 15 points in the Net Employment Outlook for the first quarter of 2025

• The IT sector maintains its position as the strongest hiring sector at 50%, followed by Financials & Real Estate at 44%,
• Year-on-year, job markets have strengthened in all 4 regions.
• Larger organizations continue to drive hiring, with companies having 250-999 & 5000+ employees reporting the highest outlook at 48%.

Employers in India foresee a robust employment outlook in Q1 2025, according to the latest ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey, which gathered data from more than 3,000 employers across various regions of India, reveals that 53% of employers plan to hire, while 13% anticipate a decrease in their staffing levels in the Q1 2025. Meanwhile, 31% do not expect any change. The Net Employment Outlook (NEO) after seasonal adjustment is +40%, strengthening by 3 percentage points from both last quarter and year over year.

Used internationally as a bellwether of labor market trends, the NEO is calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers who anticipate reductions in staffing levels from those who plan to hire.

“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. “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%. 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 organizations are driving this momentum, signaling sustained opportunities for talent across the country.”

Mr. Gulati further stated, “Investment from MNC’s looking to reduce their operation costs 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 favorable monsoon conditions. In this mixed environment, India’s employment expectations are expected to grow slightly.”

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE Q4 SURVEY

• Employers in IT (+50%), Consumer Goods & services (+40%), Energy & Utilities (+38%), Health Care & Life Sciences (+38%), Transport and Logistics & Automotive (+36%) and Communication Services (+30%) have shown a growth, when compared to Q4 2024. Industrials and Materials sees a slight decrease, reporting a NEO of (+35%). The Financial and Real Estate Industry, while having the second-highest outlook (+44%) is down by 3% compared to the previous quarter.

• The strongest outlook among the regions comes from West India (+43%) increasing by 4% from the previous quarter, closely followed by East India (+41%) which saw a considerable rise of 11% during the same period.

To view the complete results for the first quarter 2025 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, including regional and country data, visit: https://manpowergroup.co.in/manpowergroup-employment-outlook-survey.html The next survey will be released in March and will report hiring expectations for the second quarter of 2025.

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ABOUT THE SURVEY

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is the most comprehensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind, used globally as a key economic indicator. The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The methodology used to collect NEO data for the Employment Outlook has been digitized in 42 markets for the Q1 2025 report. Survey responses were collected from October 1-31, 2024, and 40,413 employers across 42 countries were asked about their first quarter hiring intentions. The question asked and the respondent profile remains unchanged. Size of organization and sector are standardized across all countries and territories to allow international comparisons. All NEOs referenced have been seasonally adjusted for easier interpretation, comparison, and consistency.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, Talent Solutions and Rotostat – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across India. We are recognized consistently for our diversity – as a best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality and Disability and in 2024 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 15th year – all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent. For more information, visit www.manpowergroup.co.in.