Is AI really stealing jobs? New hiring data tells a very different story
The headlines have repeatedly warned that artificial intelligence will take our jobs. We will be replaced by bots, and many of us have felt that familiar knot in the stomach. Apprehension about the future and the lingering question of “what next?” have kept us on edge. The message has sunk in deeply: AI is taking our jobs. Yet recent data tells a more nuanced story, and offers the silver lining many have been waiting for. Findings from Naukri’s H1 2026 Hiring Outlook suggest that automation is reshaping work, not replacing it outright.According to the survey, 95% of recruiters expect hiring activity to remain strong in the first half of 2026, with 76% anticipating new job creation, up from 72% in the latter half of 2025.
Healthcare and manufacturing take the lead
Not all industries are accelarating at an equal speed. Healthcare appears to carry the most rosy picture, with 88% of recruiters forecasting the creation of new roles. This is driven by a mix of increasing service volume growth, as well as soaring demand for entry-level talent. Manufacturing remains in close second place, where 79% anticipate employment growth, considering the continued resumption and operational growth of the industry. Conservative industries like BFSI, Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance, have a high employment growth rate, where 70% anticipate employment growth.The IT and Business Development areas are expected to be the recruitment hotspots, with nearly half of recruiters in those areas anticipating recruitment surges.These figures demonstrate a consistent demand for technical expertise and professionals to face the business world. It underlines the double-pronged drive of digitalisation and expansion of business, shaping India’s labour scenario.Professionals who benefit from the program, entry and mid-level professionals. From the information above, it shows that the survey reflects the continued preference for entry-to-mid-level professionals. It is clear that companies such as the IT firms are targeting professionals with 4-7 years of experience, with healthcare companies increasingly hiring new talent.Yet, even as hiring activity intensifies, recruiters face challenges. Skill alignment remains the most cited concern, rising sharply to 29% from 21% in the previous survey. Budget constraints continue to temper IT hiring, while a selective cohort of senior recruiters highlights talent shortage as an emerging risk.
Salary and attrition: Stable yet measured
Financial incentives remain moderate. About 59% of recruiters expect salary increments under 10%, a slight uptick from H2 2025. Attrition is projected to stay stable, with 76% expecting rates below 15%, signaling a balanced labor market where employee retention is manageable but not guaranteed.
AI: catalyst, not job killer
Perhaps the biggest revelation of the survey has to do with the impact of AI on employment. The survey has let out striking revelations, contrary to the commonly perceived understanding of the issue. A whopping 87% of recruiters find no chance of jobs being lost due to artificial intelligence. Further, there is now an expectation from the surveys to create jobs through the application of artificial intelligence in the fields of information technology, analytics, as well as the field of marketing.The moral of the narrative is clear: though Artificial Intelligence causes unease among people, the Indian job market seems to be gearing up for the technology-driven shift without losing out on the bigger issue of jobs. For the aspirant, the takeaway, too, is clear.
