Applications per job increased 48% during lockdown period

Coronavirus lockdown has heavily impacted the Indian economy as well as the Indian jobs market. A new report by QuikrJobs states that the rate of applications per job increased by 48% in India compared to average applications per job in the pre-coronavirus time. This report analysed job listings by recruiters and candidates on the QuikrJobs platform from January to March 15 (pre-coronavirus period) and from March 16 till May end (coronavirus/lockdown period).

The situation is worse in metro cities compared to non-metros, according to the data as there was a 65 per cent increase in the rate of applications per job in metros whereas in non-metros, the increase in applications per job was pegged at 43 per cent.

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According to this report, there was a significant increase in the number of applications for roles like sales (187 per cent), marketing (179 per cent), delivery executives (139 per cent), driver (122 per cent), data entry/back office (115 per cent), and teacher (108 per cent). Owing to international flights cancellations and curbs on entry and exit of people from several countries, 'work abroad' job profiles saw a 65 per cent plunge in job applications.

For many jobseekers who sought a raise in their salaries, job roles that can be classified as work from home were the most preferred option. These roles include language translator, data collection, BPO/ telecaller and insurance consultancy. This data reveals that the availability of blue collar workforce has risen notably as compared to the availability for other jobs. Overall, the online jobs portal saw a fall in both jobs as well as applicants during the lockdown period.

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