India's job postings fall 5% in Q2, entry-level openings decline 11%: Report

India's job postings fell 5% in the second quarter of 2026, while entry-level hiring declined 11%. A recent report found that global AI job postings rose 60%, despite weaker hiring across major economies and industries.India hiring holds up as global job postings fall, but entry-level roles take a hit: Report (AI-generated image)New Delhi,Oct 13, 2026 12:47 ISTIndia’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 (AI) 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.INDIA FARES BETTER THAN MAJOR ECONOMIESAmong 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.ENTRY-LEVEL HIRING FACES SHARPER DECLINEDespite 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%.AI HIRING GROWS AS SPECIALISED SECTORS EXPANDWhile 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.- Ends