Hiring pace declines 6% in January

Hiring activity in the country witnessed a decline in January as employers preferred to tread the cautious path largely owing to weak economic scenario, leading job portal Monster.com said.

The Monster Employment Index India for December, a monthly gauge of online job demand, stood at 128, down nearly 6 per cent from the previous month.

The index, however, on year-on-year basis witnessed a 7 per cent rise in January.

"The Monster Employment Index India exhibits positive annual growth.

"However, the employers continue to remain cautious owing to the current global economic scenario," Monster.com managing director (India/West Asia/South East Asia)

Sanjay Modi said.

A sectoral analysis showed even amid tough economic conditions, hiring in sectors including BPO/ITeS, banking /financial services/insurance, education, healthcare, consumer goods/FMCG and logistics continued.

In January, online job availability declined in as much as 19 of the index's 27 industry sectors.

However, it rose in 6 occupational categories monitored by the company.

The month witnessed an increase in demand for technically qualified professionals in customer service and healthcare.

In terms of cities, out of the 13 under review, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Coimbatore and Jaipur saw a decline in online demand for jobs, while it increased in Ahmedabad, Kochi, Baroda.