India's job market grew sharply in 2025, with record applications and hiring, driven by women, freshers, and SMEs.

India's job market surged in 2025 with over 9 crore job applications, a 29% increase year-on-year, led by women and freshers. Women submitted more than 3.8 crore applications—up 36%—with rising participation from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Median salaries for women rose 22%, tied to growth in finance, admin, and customer roles. Freshers accounted for over 2.2 crore applications, a 10% rise. Small and medium enterprises added 10 lakh jobs, up 11%, in education, healthcare, retail, financial services, and wellness. Cities like Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Surat saw strong hiring as local businesses formalized. Digital tools and AI expanded in recruitment, with over 73 lakh AI interview sessions saving an estimated four years of hiring time.