The short read: Naukri’s September 2026 JobSpeak index was 3,053, up 2% from 3,002 a year earlier. Overall hiring was nearly flat, while AI/ML postings rose 20%. IT/Software Services hiring fell 4%. This is one job platform’s white-collar listing index, not a count of all jobs or completed hires.
Naukri’s official September 2026 JobSpeak release, published on 6 October, describes a selective market. The headline growth is modest; the differences by experience, function and location are more useful for deciding what to investigate next.
What the headline does and does not say
The index moved from 3,002 in September 2025 to 3,053 in September 2026, a 2% year-on-year rise. That signals a small increase in listings on Naukri compared with the same month last year. It does not mean that every sector is hiring, that jobseekers have a 2% better chance of placement, or that the same number of positions were filled.
One contrast stands out: AI/ML hiring grew 20% across the report’s overall categories while IT/Software Services hiring declined 4%. A role category and an employer-industry category measure different things. AI/ML roles can appear in non-IT companies, and the 20% figure should not be presented as the growth rate for all IT jobs.
Where demand was stronger or weaker
| September 2026 measure | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|
| Overall white-collar index | +2% |
| AI/ML roles, overall | +20% |
| Auto | +11% |
| BPO/ITES and GCC hiring | +4% each |
| IT/Software Services | −4% |
| Hospitality/Travel | −11% |
| Education | −18% |
Insurance, Retail, Banking/Financial Services and Real Estate were described as broadly stable. Pharma/Biotech, FMCG and Healthcare each declined 3–4%. The report also shows stronger growth in specific functions: Research & Development and Engineering—Hardware & Networks (+19% each), Merchandising, Retail & eCommerce (+18%), and Construction & Site Engineering (+17%). These are useful signals to research against live vacancies in your own city and role.
Experience matters more than the headline
| Experience band | Overall hiring change |
|---|---|
| Freshers | +1% |
| 4–7 years | −2% |
| 8–12 years | +5% |
| 13–16 years | +7% |
| 16+ years | +5% |
The report points to more resilient demand among experienced professionals, while fresher hiring was close to flat and the 4–7-year band declined slightly. In the IT sector specifically, AI/ML postings increased 11%; growth was strongest for 13–16 years of experience (+54%) and 8–12 years (+28%). Fresher AI/ML hiring rose 19%, while the 4–7-year group was stable. Those specialised IT figures are a separate cut from the overall AI/ML growth figure.
City and GCC signals
Among metros, Hyderabad led overall growth at 9%, followed by Chennai at 6%, then Bengaluru and Kolkata at 4% each. Pune was stable. Delhi-NCR and Mumbai each declined 6%; hiring in emerging cities was broadly flat.
GCC hiring grew 4% overall. Hyderabad (+23%), Chennai (+13%) and Pune (+11%) led the reported GCC city growth. Bengaluru rose 3%, Delhi-NCR was stable, and Mumbai and Kolkata declined. A city-level index is not a guarantee of openings for a particular job title, so check current vacancies before making a relocation decision.
What a jobseeker can do with this
- Search by function as well as industry. If you work in engineering, R&D, retail technology or construction, look beyond the employer’s industry label and compare the actual role descriptions.
- Use AI hiring as a skill signal, not a promise. Review several current job descriptions in your field. Identify recurring skills and build evidence through a relevant project; do not pivot solely because one monthly percentage is high.
- Make experience visible. For mid-career roles, show the scope, decisions and measurable outcomes of your work. Tailor those examples to the responsibilities in each vacancy.
- Validate the local market. Check active postings, employer career pages and recruiter conversations for your role and location. Repeat the check over several weeks rather than treating one index as a forecast.
If applications are not producing responses, first check that your resume text is readable and that relevant achievements match the role. Our ATS resume guide explains a practical parsing check; the resume service offers a fixed-scope review.
How to read JobSpeak responsibly
JobSpeak is based on job postings on Naukri and is best treated as a directional indicator of advertised demand on that platform. It does not include every route to employment, such as informal hiring or referrals, and a posting does not prove that a position was filled. Monthly comparisons can also move with the mix and timing of listings. Use the index to form questions, then check primary employer vacancies and broader labour-market sources before making career or financial decisions.
For context, compare this edition with Naukri’s August 2026 report, when the overall index grew 14% year on year and the experience and sector pattern was different.
Source: Naukri JobSpeak: White-collar hiring holds steady in September; AI/ML roles continue growth streak, 6 October 2026. Percentages above are copied from the release and rounded as presented there.