Hiring activity slows in August

Recruitment in India witnessed a moderate slowdown in August as employers preferred to tread the cautious path amid dwindling economy, says a survey.

The Monster.com's employment index, a monthly gauge of the country's online job demand, declined by 2 points (-1.56 per cent) to 126 in August, from 128 in the previous month.

On a year-on-year basis, however, the index level has risen by 6 points (five per cent) from 120 points recorded in August 2011.

"Monster Employment Index continues to grow at a moderate pace owing to the cautious sentiment amongst employers in the current economic scenario," Monster.com (India/ Middle- East/South East Asia) managing director Sanjay Modi said.

Sectoral analysis showed that despite tough economic conditions, hiring continued in sectors such as IT, ITeS, engineering, telecom, advertising, media, FMCG and retail.

"Prominent sectors like Engineering, Automotive, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Retail, Shipping/Marine

are showing increased recruitment activity," Modi said.

The employment index is an indicator of monthly online demand for jobs. It is based on a real-time review of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of online career outlets, including Monster India.

In August, online job availability declined in as much as 15 of the index's 27 industry sectors.

However, it increased in 11 occupational categories monitored by the company and remained unchanged in one.

The month saw an increase in demand for technically qualified professionals in customer service, sales and business development, legal and arts/creative field.

Of the 13 cities under review, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad saw a decline in online demand for jobs.

In Bengaluru, Jaipur, the demand remained unchanged while it increased in the rest of the cities being monitored.