79% HR leaders see fresh jobs despite AI disruption

Nearly four-fifths (79%) of senior HR leaders anticipate companies to generate fresh positions in the second half of 2026, indicating sustained growth in India's white-collar workforce, according to Naukri's Hiring Outlook survey published on Tuesday. 97% of HR leaders surveyed predict hiring activity, including new and replacement hiring, to persist over the next six months, the job platform disclosed in a statement.

"With 79% of senior HR leaders forecasting new job creation, the H2 2026 Hiring Outlook suggests a steady acceleration in India's job market," stated Hitesh Oberoi, managing director and chief executive of Info Edge. He emphasized that artificial intelligence is also generating novel roles, particularly in IT, marketing, and analytics, highlighting the growing significance of continuous skill development for both organizations and professionals.

The real estate sector exhibits the most optimism regarding new job creation, with 86% of its HR leaders expecting fresh roles in H2, closely followed by FMCG at 85% and IT/tech at 83%. IT/tech hiring outlook has improved from the previous half-year, when 79% of HR leaders expected new job creation. Manufacturing and healthcare also show consistent expectations of 79% each, while BFSI follows at 72%.

The survey identifies business development, marketing, and IT roles as the most sought-after, with 45%, 37%, and 31% of HR leaders, respectively, anticipating these functions to command the most recruitment. Furthermore, the survey indicates a sustained demand for younger professionals, as 62% of HR leaders predict maximum hiring in the 0-3 years' experience band, and 57% expect the strongest demand among those with 4-7 years of experience.

BFSI, healthcare, and IT are anticipated to lead entry-level recruitment, with 83%, 61%, and 60% of HR leaders in these sectors respectively anticipating maximum hiring in the 0-3 years' experience category. Real estate and FMCG, on the other hand, are expected to focus on mid-level hiring, with 81% and 68% of their HR leaders, respectively, designating the 4-7 years band.

Despite the potential impact of AI, 86% of HR leaders do not foresee significant job losses in the near term. Over 20% of HR leaders in IT and BFSI sectors expect AI to create new roles during the period, with AI frequently identified in IT, marketing, and analytics areas. However, the primary challenge for employers appears to be ensuring that available talent aligns with evolving job requirements.

Matching talent skills with job specifications was cited as the biggest hiring challenge by 31% of HR leaders, whereas talent shortage emerged as the top concern in healthcare (39%), followed by skill alignment at 33%.

Attrition expectations are also relatively contained, with 83% of HR leaders predicting attrition to stay below 15% over the next six months, and 67% expecting it to remain below 10%. Salaries are also expected to grow modestly, with 58% of HR leaders anticipating average increments to remain below 10%, while 28% foresee increments in the 10-15% range.