India may be one of the fastest growing economies in the world, yet looking for jobs can be a challenge in a country that's seen unemployment surge 8% in recent months.
But it's not just jobseekers struggling to find work, employers are also finding it more difficult to hire in certain industries, according to recent data released by Indeed.
Researchers at the global hiring and matching platform found that the most popular search terms used by recruiters on the site in 2023 included sales, accounting and nursing, and pointed out that it's an indication that these are areas that are most difficult to find talent for.
"Resume search is a proactive step that suggests that other [more passive] strategies, such as simply posting a job advertisement online, haven't been so successful," according to a blog post by Indeed.
"I think it speaks to a certain urgency amongst recruiters and employers around jobs that are particularly hard to fill," Callam Pickering, APAC senior economist at Indeed, told CNBC Make It.
Top search terms by Indian employers
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"Sales" is the most commonly searched term by employers in India, making up 10% of all resume searches on the platform in 2023, according to research by Indeed.
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It was also the top search term in Singapore, comprising 8% of all resume searches by employers in the island-nation, in 2023, according to data by Indeed.
"I think sales can be a really high stress sector, with considerable staff turnover [and] a high risk of burnout, so I think it lends itself quite well to being a sector where shortages are common, and recruitment can often be very difficult," said Pickering.
Here are the other common search terms by employers in India in 2023, according to Indeed. The percentage indicates the share of total searches by recruiters in the country.
- Sales 10%
- Accounting 2%
- Nurse 1%
- Telecaller 0.94%
- Mechanic 0.9%
Additionally, "sales and accounting cut across various industries and businesses, and therefore, there is high demand," Sashi Kumar, head of sales at Indeed India told CNBC Make It. These industries have also seen an increase in the share of job postings since 2020, he added.
The term "nurse" was the third most commonly searched on Indeed by employers in India in 2023.
Although nursing roles are sought after in the country, "Indian nursing professionals are increasingly pursuing opportunities in countries such as Australia, Canada, the UK, and the U.S.," according to Kumar.
"Telecaller" and "mechanic" also ranked among the top 5, though they each accounted for less than 1% of the searches in India.
"Notably, as India's services industry continues to expand, there's a concurrent surge in the demand for telecallers," Kumar said. "Telecalling is also a relatively cost-effective way to reach customers, particularly in a market like India, making it an attractive option for businesses."
Additionally, India has been making a big push for electric vehicles, which is creating a new wave of demand for mechanics, according to Kumar. Furthermore, the country is moving toward "indigenization" — the process of making things more indigenous, or more appropriate for the local population and culture.
"With initiatives like 'Make in India' aiming to boost domestic production and reduce dependency on imports, the demand for skilled technicians in manufacturing and production facilities is on the rise," said Kumar. That could eventually lead to a greater need for skilled mechanics in the nation, he added.
Other popular search terms ranking in the top 10 among recruiters in India were "business development executive," "registered nurse," "electrician," "graphic designer," and "PHP developer," which refers to someone who develops websites, programs or applications using the programming language, PHP.
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