Hiring picks up in April, social services lead

NEW DELHI, May 15: Driven by increased hiring activity in a majority of sectors, led social services, the overall job market improved in April, says a report.
Employment portal Monster.Com today said that NGO/social services sector continued to see high growth last month compared to the same month last year.
Similar trends were seen in healthcare, biotechnology and life sciences as well as pharmaceuticals sectors.
The Monster Employment Index, a monthly gauge of online job demand, rose to 129 last month from 124 in March. The index climbed by same rate as compared to April 2011.
Indicating better employment market conditions, 24 of the 27 sectors tracked by the index increased recruitment activity between April 2011 and April 2012.
NGO/Social Services saw an annual employment growth of 30 per cent, Monster.Com said.
“Though the pace of growth has moderated, sectors like healthcare, medical manufacturing, textiles, and even financial services have exhibited positive growth momentum,” Monster.Com’s Managing Director (India/ Middle East/ South East Asia) Sanjay Modi said in a statement.
However, production and manufacturing sector saw a five per cent drop in hiring activities, while the decline was as much as 12 per cent in government/PSU/defence area, it added.
“Kochi recorded (up 23 per cent) followed by Coimbatore (up 21 per cent) led all cities in annual growth,” the statement noted. (PTI)