AI job postings surge to record high: Indeed Hiring Lab

AI-related job postings rose to 11.7% in September, placing India just behind Singapore in global rankings for artificial intelligence demand.

Bangalore, 16th October, 2025: Recent data from global matching and hiring platform
Indeed highlights that demand for skills in artificial intelligence continues to grow across
India. In September, 11.7% of Indian job postings explicitly mentioned artificial
intelligence in their job descriptions, up from 10.6% three months ago and 8.2% a year
ago.

Callam Pickering, Indeed’s APAC Senior Economist said, “India ranks highly against
other Indeed markets. Apart from India, only Singapore has a higher share of postings
mentioning artificial intelligence. It’s clear that many employers across India have gone
all-in on artificial intelligence.”

Artificial intelligence opportunities are concentrated in the tech sector but are increasingly
widespread. Almost 39% of data & analytics roles mention artificial intelligence, ahead of
software development (23%), insurance (18%) and scientific research (17%).
Demand for skills in artificial intelligence is common across several engineering
categories, led by industrial engineering (17%), mechanical engineering (11%) and
electrical engineering (9.2%).

Overall hiring activity softens in September
In September, Indian job postings on Indeed fell 0.8%, the sixth monthly decline this year,
to be 16.2% lower than a year ago. Indian job postings are 69% above pre-pandemic
levels, but have fallen 22% since their peak in January 2023.

Every month, the Indian workforce gradually transitions towards more formal work
arrangements. As the nation transitions, job creation across the formal sector will outpace
overall employment growth nationwide. This transition is also why job postings in India
have been stronger than other Indeed markets, both during the post-pandemic job boom
and the subsequent slowdown.

Posting trends diverge across occupations
Over the past three months, job postings have declined in more than 90% of occupations.
A handful of occupations, however, bucked that trend, led by community & social service
and pharmacy which increased by 10.4% and 9.9%, respectively. Software development,
up 0.4%, also grew modestly.
These gains though were more than offset by weakness in banking & finance where
postings fell 25.5%, along with education & instruction (-22.2%), security & public safety (-

20.9%) and physicians & surgeons (-20.9%).
Skill mismatches persist despite high demand
Job creation continues to soften, but job postings remain well above pre-pandemic levels.
India’s formal sector continues to perform strongly, with more than enough jobs available
to facilitate India’s ongoing economic transition. As AI reshapes hiring priorities, the
demand for specialized, high-skilled professionals has intensified. Many employers are

seeking candidates proficient in AI-related tools such as data analytics, and automation,
skills that are not yet widely represented in the current talent pool.
India’s larger challenge is simply that there are often mismatches between the skills job
seekers possess and the skills employers seek. Many companies in India are looking for
highly skilled workers in tech or management, however, skill shortages remain common in
India, particularly in higher-skilled segments.