Blue and grey-collar job demand in India up four-fold in 2022: Report

60 per cent of all the grey and blue-collar hires were "freshers" with a prior work experience of 0 to 3 years: Billion Careers

The number of vacancies for blue and grey jobs in India grew four-fold between 2021 and 2022, data from workforce solutions firm Billion Careers showed. On the back of digitisation, automation, and changing work models, the number of vacancies rose from 2,626,637 in 2021 to 10,542,820 in 2022.

"The job market trends of 2022, ranging from Great Resignation to the emergence of gigs, have shown that every segment will be more focused on hiring, including blue and grey-collar workers," said Ajay Kumar Singh, senior VP and chief business officer at Billion Careers.

Blue-collar jobs involve manual labour, and the compensation is mainly on an hourly basis. Grey-collar jobs, on the other hand, require a mix of manual and technical work.

Billion Careers, a subsidiary of business service firm Quess Corp, said that the companies are now focussing on skill and tech-based mass hiring.

"Organisations today also prefer hiring employees with tech-related skills, as digitisation has penetrated across India. Recruiters will optimise hiring processes through technology and address the demand-supply talent gap, focusing on employee engagement and retention," Singh added.

The legal, IT, healthcare, telecom, and customer care job profiles provided the highest wages.

The data further showed that 60 per cent of all the grey and blue-collar hires were "freshers" with a prior work experience of 0 to 3 years. Their average salary ranged from Rs 8,000 to Rs 25,000 per month.

Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai showed the most demand for blue and grey-collar jobs in metro cities.

"As the Indian economy transitions into a digital age, recruiters are seeking blue and grey-collar workers with expertise in analytical and digital skills, such as machine learning, robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence," the firm said.