Hospitality hiring grew 20% in February, driven by Mahakumbh, Coldplay concerts, and MICE events, while IT hiring showed signs of recovery
Chennai: The Mahakumbh in Prayagraj and the Coldplay concerts, which provided a boost to the hospitality sector, saw the hiring by the industry in the month of February rising by 20 per cent.
The hospitality sector emerged as a standout performer with 20 per cent year-on-year growth, marking a significant turnaround from the 3 per cent decline recorded in February 2024. Major metros drove this growth, with Bengaluru growing 56 per cent, Delhi NCR 27 per cent, and Chennai with 23 per cent increase leading the hiring surge, according to Naukri.com. Fresher hiring in the hospitality sector too witnessed 23 per cent growth in February. The sector had posted a 26 per cent growth in January as well.
The Indian hospitality industry saw robust demand from MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) activities, cultural events, and an active wedding season in February. Spiritual tourism triggered by the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj fuelled a surge in bookings. Hotels, Dharamshala, and homestays in the region are witnessing a 300 per cent rise in bookings, according to Motilal Oswal report.
Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning too saw 21 per cent growth in hiring. Data Scientists saw 76 per cent growth in hiring, Machine Learning Engineers 70 per cent, Search Engineers 52 per cent, Data/Big Data Testing Engineers 48 per cent, and Security Consultants 44 per cent.
However, IT hiring remained flat at an overall level, though the sector showed signs of improvement considering the steep declines it witnessed throughout 2024. Emerging IT cities like Jaipur recorded 19 per cent and Coimbatore 10 per cent growth in IT hiring and bucked the trends.
The overall white-collar job market maintained its momentum in February, recording a 4 per cent year-on-year increase. FMCG, Pharma, and GCC posted positive growth, while banking continued to face headwinds with a decline of 6 per cent in hiring.
