Manpower India, one of India's largest recruitment firms, has forecast sustained positive hiring for the first quarter of 2006, with an overall Net Employment Outlook of 27 percent.
Although the hiring forecast has softened by about 13 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2005, it is still likely to stay the strongest of the 23 countries that the survey covers, according to a Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
Hiring would be buoyed largely by employers in finance, insurance and retail sectors, which are projected to have an NEO of 32 per cent.
The services industry follows closely with a 30 per cent NEO, while the greatest decrease is anticipated in the public administration and education sector with a 19 percentage point quarter-on-quarter decrease, said the survey.
Commenting on the employment outlook, Tarun Bali, executive director, Manpower India, said, "Hiring intentions are cautious in comparison to the previous quarter but remain strong. With experts backing India's sustained labour market growth, there is a need for employers to quickly and critically examine their recruitment and retention strategies ..., because the shortage of skills is expected to be worse."
Regional trends in India depict the best outlook for the North and East with NEOs of 32 and 31 per cent, respectively, followed by the South at 28 and West at 18 per cent.
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