Indian professionals are optimistic about the job market heading into 2021, as it continues to recover steadily amid Covid-19, according to a report by LinkedIn.

According to data shared by LinkedIn, 40 per cent of Indian professionals expect an increase in the number of new jobs in 2021. 53 per cent expect their companies to do better in the next six months, as per the report.

“This optimism also comes at a time when India’s economy is slowly opening up, and the hiring rate continues to recover steadily back to pre-Covid-19 levels with a 46 per cent y-o-y growth as of October 2020,” LinkedIn said.

Also read: 47% Indian tech recruiters embracing online assessment tools for hiring: Report

“However, working in isolation and navigating a tough job market over the past few months have adversely affected India’s emotional well-being and financial outlook,” LinkedIn said.

78 per cent of unemployed professionals admitted to feeling highly stressed as of November 2020, even as 32 per cent of Indians expect their incomes to increase, heading into the new year. 61 per cent of Indian professionals said that they will take less time off this holiday season, while 87 per cent said they will spend equal or more time working at their primary jobs this year-end.

Focus on upskilling

Moving forward, Indian professionals are very keen on upskilling themselves. As per LinkedIn data, the average number of monthly learning hours on LinkedIn Learning increased three times from April to December 2020, compared to the pre-Covid-19 months of January and February.

Furthermore, 57 per cent of professionals said that they will increase their time spent in online learning, going forward.

The professional networking platform also shared the top jobs for 2020, along with the most in-demand skills of the year.

The top 10 jobs of 2020 on the platform include customer service specialist, data analyst, digital marketing specialist, financial analyst, graphic designer, IT administrator, IT support/help desk technician, project manager, sales representative and software developer.

The fastest growing skills include Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, data structures, digital marketing and HTML 5.

Professionals in industries such as software & IT services, manufacturing, corporate services, finance and hardware & networking spent the highest number of learning hours on the platform.

Also read: LinkedIn’s R&D unit in India becomes largest outside US

Future of Work

LinkedIn also shared its key predictions, detailing the top 10 trends outlining the “future of work.”

“India will reimagine the future of work across five key segments: the workplace, careers, recruiting, business, and leadership,” said the LinkedIn report.

“The year 2020 was a disruptive year, and 2021 will help us tackle unforeseen challenges and prepare for new realities,” said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, Linkedin.

“Going forward, India will reimagine the future of work across five areas, specifically the workplace, careers, recruiting, business, and leadership styles. In 2021, skills-first hiring will be a pivotal trend; the CHRO will play a critical role; virtual collaboration will become stronger, and learning will be part of everyone’s job,” Gupta said.

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