The demand for freshers has gone up 5 per cent over the past six months, aided by gradual improvement in the IT sector, according to a report released on Thursday.

The highest share of job postings for freshers was witnessed by the IT and staffing industry with over 32 per cent and 12 per cent share of jobs, respectively, dedicated to entry-level professionals, foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME) report on fresher hiring trends.

Additionally, it revealed that the demand for freshers has increased 5 per cent over the last six months.

The report is based on an analysis of data on foundit platform from May 2023 to May 2024.

It further stated that IT companies -- particularly in the hardware and software sectors -- are showing intent to hire freshers, signalling a shift in hiring strategies in India.

This trend is largely driven by ongoing restructuring efforts within the industry, focusing on adopting new technologies, optimising costs, enhancing innovation, and ensuring scalability, the report added.

Startups in the IT services and internet industry led in fresher hiring, with 23 per cent and 22 per cent of jobs directed to new graduates, respectively, it stated.

While jobs in the IT industry did decline in the last quarter, engineering graduates are in demand for 28 per cent of jobs in startups alone, the report said.

Additionally, other roles being hired across startups are consultants (10 per cent), sales/exec manager (4 per cent), and operations exec/manager (4 per cent), it added.

"We're seeing a clear trend where startups and other companies are increasingly valuing skills over just academic credentials. This shift means that young professionals need to focus on acquiring relevant skills to stand out in the competitive job market," foundit (previously Monster APAC & ME) CEO Sekhar Garisa said.

The report added that Delhi-NCR (21 per cent) hosts the highest share of job postings for freshers, followed by Bengaluru (14 per cent).

Notably, fresher hiring was the highest in metropolitan cities in India, Mumbai (8 per cent), Chennai (8 per cent), Pune (8 per cent), and Hyderabad (8 per cent) were recorded as the next top locations for hiring freshers, it added.

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