New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS): White-collar hiring activities increased by 9 per cent in December as compared to the same period last year, according to a report.

In the white-collar hiring sphere, high-skill and strategically important jobs were in high demand.

According to Naukri JobSpeak, the index increased to 2,651 points in December 2024, posting a strong annual growth of 9 per cent.

In the white-collar hiring in December, AI/ML registered a jump of 36 per cent, oil and gas 13 per cent, FMCG 12 per cent and healthcare, 12 per cent.

The report further stated that fresher recruitments witnessed a slowdown throughout 2024 but in December, it registered a jump of 6 per cent. Freshers' hiring has seen a 39 per cent increase in the design sector, 26 per cent in beauty and wellness and 19 per cent in consumer durables.

Top metro cities saw an impressive 10 per cent jump in recruitment at the end of the year, the report mentioned.

After the recruitment trends in October, south India's performance remained strong in December as well and it contributed significantly to the increase in white collar jobs.

Chennai and Bengaluru registered a jump of 35 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, in recruitment.

Coimbatore registered a jump of 14 per cent in freshers' recruitment and Hyderabad registered a jump of 15 per cent in hiring. Recruitment by foreign multinational companies has increased by 52 per cent.

Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri.com, said that India's job market is entering 2025 with vigour and is driven by AI/ML developments and creative fields.

“The rapid growth in new hires and C-suite roles shows that we are changing to a more dynamic landscape. Traditional sectors like FMCG are embracing this evolution, adding new talent with strategic expertise,” he mentioned.