Job Postings Rose 1.2% In July After Three-Month Decline, But New Study Flags IT Hiring Slowdown

(MENAFN- Live Mint) India's job market is showing early signs of recovery after months of decline, but the rebound is not uniform across sectors.

According to the latest Indeed Hiring Lab data, job postings in India rose 1.2% in July 2026, following three consecutive months of decline. Despite the recent slowdown, postings were still 8.3% higher than in July 2025.

Despite recent volatility, job postings remain 84% above pre-pandemic levels, highlighting continued strength in India's formal job market.

What changed in India's job market in July 2026?

Job postings rose 1.2% in July 2026 after declining for three consecutive months.

Callam Pickering, Senior Economist, Indeed APAC, said,“Indian job postings staged a modest recovery in July, ending three consecutive months of decline. While the rebound was gradual, postings remain well above pre-pandemic levels and continue to outpace other markets Indeed tracks, a sign that India's formal economy is still expanding at a healthy clip”.

Job postings increased across almost 80% of occupations over the past three months, suggesting that the improvement is broader than the headline number indicates.

Which jobs are seeing the strongest demand?

Healthcare and care-related occupations are emerging as some of the biggest beneficiaries of the hiring recovery.

From 30 April to 31 July 2026, medical technician postings increased 30.3%, the strongest gain among the occupations tracked by Indeed. Childcare postings rose 26.3%, while physicians and surgeons increased 26%. Therapy roles were up 24.8%.

Other sectors also recorded strong growth. Logistics support postings rose 22%, followed by retail, real estate, food preparation and service, architecture, and civil engineering.

The trend suggests that hiring demand is spreading towards healthcare, services, and other parts of the care economy.

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Yes. Technology -related occupations are moving in the opposite direction.

Over the past three months to 31 July, postings for IT infrastructure, operations and support fell 24.3%, the steepest decline among the occupations tracked.

Software development postings declined 17.5%, while industrial engineering fell 15.5%, nursing declined 15.4%, and data and analytics postings dropped 14.3%.

IT systems and solutions postings fell 11.2%, while mechanical engineering declined 7.4%.

“Despite the recent pullback, tech postings remain well above pre-pandemic levels overall, though the pace of growth has lagged the broader national trend in recent months,” the study noted.

Apart from IT, job postings in banking & finance and legal also declined over the three months to 31 July.

What does AI mean for jobs beyond technology?

AI is increasingly becoming part of job descriptions outside traditional technology roles.

Indeed's analysis found 349 distinct job titles in India, or around 6.6% of all titles tracked, and featured meaningful AI mentions in the March 2026 quarter. This figure has doubled over the past year and nearly quadrupled over two years.

Interestingly, non-tech occupations accounted for 42% of these AI-touched job titles, up from 39% a year earlier and 29% two years ago.

This suggests AI is no longer limited to jobs that build AI tools. It is increasingly becoming an expected skill across established roles.

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India's formal job market appears to be stabilising after a volatile start to 2026. While overall postings remain strong, the changing mix of demand is significant.

“Healthcare and care-economy roles like medical technicians and childcare are seeing sharp gains, while tech hiring, especially in IT infrastructure and software development, continues to soften. That's a reminder that even amid strong aggregate growth, employer demand is shifting unevenly across sectors,” Pickering noted.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. The views expressed above are not those of Mint.

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