New Delhi: India’s job market has shown greater resilience than several major economies amid a global hiring slowdown, with job postings declining 5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026. However, entry-level opportunities faced a sharper contraction, while demand for artificial intelligence talent continued to rise globally, according to a report by Bain & Company.
The report, titled Global Job Market Trends, found that hiring demand weakened across major markets, industries and business functions between April and June 2026. The findings point to a labour market where overall recruitment remains under pressure, even as employers continue to seek specialised skills.
Among the 10 major markets, India recorded a smaller decline in job postings than several large economies. France saw the steepest fall at 40%, followed by Brazil at 39% and the Netherlands at 33%. Job postings declined 27% in Germany and 23% in the United States. Other markets recorded comparatively smaller contractions, including China at 10%, the United Kingdom at 9%, Japan at 7% and Canada at 4%. The figures highlight the uneven nature of the global hiring slowdown, with India experiencing a relatively moderate decline in recruitment activity.
Despite the comparatively smaller overall contraction, junior and entry-level positions experienced a sharper downturn. Postings for these roles declined 11% year-on-year in the second quarter, compared with a 6% fall in the first quarter. Junior positions accounted for 95% of all job postings during the quarter, the report said.
Several traditional corporate functions also recorded double-digit declines. Research, design and development saw the steepest fall at 37%, followed by sales and marketing, both of which declined 32%. Postings in strategy and analytics fell 27%, while information technology and finance recorded declines of 25% and 24%, respectively. Engineering roles were relatively more resilient, with postings down 7%, while general administrative positions fell 13%.
While hiring weakened across much of the job market, AI-related recruitment continued to grow. Global AI job postings reached approximately 351,000 in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 60% increase from a year earlier and a 12% rise from the previous quarter. However, AI openings continued to account for a small share of total hiring demand.
Some specialised industries also recorded growth. Job postings in venture capital and private equity rose 47% year-on-year, while capital markets grew 26%. Computer and network security postings increased 19%, and defence and space-related openings rose 13%. The findings suggest that although broad-based hiring remains weak, demand continues to grow in selected industries and specialised skill areas.