AI/ML job demand surged 25% YoY in May 2025, led by unicorns and senior talent hiring, according to Naukri JobSpeak.
According to the Naukri JobSpeak May 2025 report, overall hiring in the IT sector fell by 5 per cent compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
Demand expanded aggressively in metro cities: Delhi-NCR led growth with a 35 per cent surge, followed closely by Chennai (34 per cent) and Kolkata (33 per cent).
Hiring demand extended through experience brackets with mid-to-senior professionals particularly in the 13–16 years cohort seeing an increase of 36 per cent.
Entry-level roles weren’t left behind either, showing a robust 22 per cent rise. Overall fresher hiring stayed flat in May.
Insurance led the way with a 26 per cent rise in fresher hiring, followed by real estate (12 per cent).
BPO/ITES (5 per cent) and hospitality (4 per cent) also registered modest increases, highlighting a shift in entry-level demand beyond traditional tech domains.
Professionals with 16 or more years of experience continued to be in demand, with this segment witnessing a 6 per cent increase in hiring in May.
India’s unicorns continued their hiring spree, posting a 19 per cent Y-o-Y growth in May.
The bulk of unicorn hiring was concentrated in banking and financial services (29 per cent) and internet/ecommerce (18 per cent).