Most blue-collar jobs are going to freshers with tech skills: Quess report

• From March 2022 to March 2023, approximately 82.84% of blue-collar hires had 0-3 years of work experience.
  
• The most in-demand blue collar jobs are in security, where employers expect them to possess people skills.
  
• Employers also prefer to invest in freshers who have tech skills, needed in an automated world.
  

The market for blue collar jobs has been growing steadily. In particular, demand for blue collar security jobs grew three-fold in the past one year, exhibiting a 219% year-on-year growth in March 2023, says a report by Quess Corp.

“The significant increase in demand for security services in the blue-collar workforce highlights the crucial need for maintaining a safe and secure workplace. Employers are now looking for security guards who are friendly, approachable, and skilled in conflict resolution to ensure the well-being of their employees,” said the report by Qjobs, a subsidiary of Quess Corp, a digital job platform for blue-collar job seekers.

The other blue collar job vacancies that grew by a healthy 61.7% YoY are administrative and human resource positions, across industries.

“Despite the changing economic climate, there is an increasing demand for blue-collar workers, especially in the HR/admin and security service job roles. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with more companies realizing the importance of investing in talent management and securing the workspace to improve their overall business performance,” said Amit Nigam, CEO, Billion Careers.

The overall job vacancies for the blue-collar workforce in India also exhibited a positive trend growing 7% increase in the same period. Apart from government initiatives, rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, a growing middle class, and the rise of e-commerce is boosting growth in blue collar jobs.

“Furthermore, India's investments in infrastructure development, including the construction of highways, airports, and ports, are expected to generate a plethora of blue-collar job opportunities in the transportation, logistics, and construction sectors,” said Nigam.

Freshers constitute a major portion of new hires

From March 2022 to March 2023, approximately 82.8% of blue-collar hires had 0-3 years of work experience, while those with seven or more years of experience represented only 0.15% of hires.

“Additionally, some employers view freshers as a long-term investment in their future workforce, recognizing the benefits of having tech-savvy individuals in an increasingly automated world,” the report said.

Similarly, skilled workers with people skills are being preferred for job roles such as event supervisors and on-ground security staff.

There has also been a notable growth of 33% YoY in the counter sales and retail job category as well. This growth is likely attributed to the increased demand for goods and services, as well as the overall economic growth.

In addition, the field sales job category experienced a significant YoY increase of 24.7%, and the business development job category also saw a rise of YoY growth of 20.6%.

Women constitute only about 16% of the blue-collar workforce

Despite the efforts made towards achieving gender equality, men still dominate the blue-collar industry in India, comprising a significant 84.26% of the workforce as of March 2023, the data reveals.

Conversely, women only constitute 15.74% of the workforce due to several factors, such as unequal opportunities for skill development and career advancement.

It is crucial for the government and companies to take steps to encourage women's participation in non-traditional jobs, ensure equitable pay for their work, and implement policies to guarantee a secure and welcoming work environment for them, the report said.