New Delhi, Aug. 25 -- India's white-collar job market is expected to see further expansion in the second half of 2026, with 79 per cent of senior HR leaders expecting creation of new jobs and 97 per cent expecting hiring activity to continue, according to Naukri's H2 2026 Hiring Outlook survey.

The survey, based on responses from more than 540 senior HR leaders and hiring decision-makers, showed the strongest optimism in real estate, FMCG and IT/Tech. As many as 86 per cent of HR leaders in real estate expect new job creation in H2, followed by FMCG at 85 per cent and IT/Tech at 83 per cent, up from 79 per cent in the first half.

Manufacturing and healthcare followed at 79 per cent each, while 72 per cent of BFSI HR leaders expected new...