The new year is likely to usher in good news for job seekers in India as the country has emerged one of the most optimistic nations in the world in terms of hiring plans for the next three months.

According to the Employment Outlook Survey released today by workforce solutions major ManpowerGroup, Indian employers are anticipating a brisk hiring pace for the January-March period, especially in the mining, construction and services sector.

After Taiwan, India has the second most optimistic hiring outlook globally, followed by New Zealand, Colombia and Singapore, the report said, adding that the weakest and only negative outlooks are reported in Italy, Ireland, Finland, Spain, Slovakia and Belgium.

The net employment outlook for India stood at 33 per cent, indicating that job seekers may benefit from a vigorous hiring pace in the months ahead.

“India’s first-quarter hiring pace is expected to remain robust, especially in the mining and construction sector where job seekers are expected to benefit from aggressive efforts to improve infrastructure throughout the country,” said A. G. Rao, Group Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India.

Rao added that the hiring pace is also expected to remain brisk in the services sector where IT talent continues to be aggressively recruited by both national and multinational firms.

According to the survey that covered 5,006 employers across India, the most optimistic hiring plans are reported by employers in the mining and construction sector and the wholesale and retail trade sector, with robust net employment outlooks of 38 per cent.

Compared to the previous quarter, hiring intentions have weakened in all seven industry sectors. However, year-on-year,employers report stronger hiring intentions in six of the seven industry sectors.

Employers in all four regions expect a rise in payrolls during the first quarter of 2014. The net employment outlook in the Western region stood at 36 per cent, followed by the North (35 per cent), South (34 per cent) and East (30 per cent).

Meanwhile, employers across the globe expect a cautious yet positive approach to hiring for the start of 2014, despite the ongoing economic uncertainty and disruptions.

Employers in 34 of 42 countries and territories expect to increase payrolls in the next three months, compared to 29 in the fourth quarter of 2013.

“Employers in many parts of the world anticipate mostly modest payroll gains, which may nevertheless be a sign of some gathering hiring momentum as we head into 2014,” Manpower Group Chairman and CEO Jeffrey A. Joerres said.

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