India recorded a 5% year-on-year decline in job postings in the second quarter of 2026, outperforming several major economies amid a global slowdown in recruitment, according to a report by Bain & Company.
The report, titled Global Job Market Trends, found that hiring demand weakened across major markets, sectors and business functions during the April-June quarter. However, demand for (AI)-related skills continued to grow.
India was among the markets that witnessed a relatively moderate contraction in job postings, with the decline considerably smaller than that recorded in several other major economies, the report said.
The findings point to an increasingly divided employment landscape, where overall recruitment demand remains weak even as companies continue to seek professionals with specialised skills, particularly those related to AI.
Among the 10 markets tracked by Bain, France recorded the steepest decline in job postings at 40%, followed by Brazil at 39% and the Netherlands at 33%. Germany saw a 27% contraction, while postings in the US fell 23%.
Other markets recorded comparatively smaller declines. Job postings fell 4% in Canada, 7% in Japan, 9% in the UK and 10% in China, alongside India’s 5% drop.
Corporate functions face widespread hiring cuts
Several traditional corporate functions experienced double-digit declines in job postings during the quarter.
Research, design and development recorded the sharpest contraction at 37%, followed by sales and marketing, both of which saw declines of 32%. Postings in strategy and analytics fell 27%, while information technology and finance registered drops of 25% and 24%, respectively.
proved relatively more resilient, with postings declining 7%. General administrative roles recorded a 13% fall.
Entry-level recruitment also weakened. Junior and entry-level positions accounted for 95% of all job postings in the second quarter, but openings in this category declined 11% year on year. This marked a sharper contraction than the 6% drop recorded in the first quarter.
AI hiring bucks the broader slowdown
While recruitment weakened across much of the labour market, demand for AI-related talent moved in the opposite direction.
Global postings reached approximately 351,000 in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 60% increase from the same period last year and a 12% rise from the preceding quarter. Despite the growth, AI openings continued to represent only a small share of total hiring demand.
Some specialised industries and functions also recorded year-on-year growth in recruitment. Hiring in venture capital and private equity rose 47%, while capital markets postings increased 26%. Computer and network security saw a 19% rise, and defence and space-related openings grew 13%.
The report highlighted the contrast between declining recruitment across broad categories and continued demand for specific capabilities.
It added that employers are increasingly directing hiring towards specialised skills, indicating a need to realign recruitment strategies with changing workforce requirements.