Bangalore: Hiring activity in India registered an uptrend in February, signaling sustained confidence by Indian businesses in the economy, according to a research from Monster.com, a job portal.

The online hiring activity in India witnessed a 4 per cent increase from the previous month, and 16 per cent rise from the year-ago period, said the research.

The Monster Employment Index India for February, a monthly gauge of online job demand, stood at 133, up nearly 4 per cent from the previous month.

"The Monster Employment Index India exhibits positive annual growth owing to cautious 'optimism'. This is reflective of the confidence that employers are showing in the resiliency of the Indian economy," Monster.com (India/Middle-East/ South East Asia) Managing Director Sanjay Modi said.

A sectoral analysis showed hiring in sectors, including BPO/ITeS, banking /financial services/insurance, telecom, oil and gas, healthcare, advertising and public relations, real estate, retail and shipping among others, continued.

In February, online job availability increased in as much as 19 of the index's 27 industry sectors. However, it declined in five occupational categories monitored by the company and remained unchanged in three categories.

The month witnessed an increase in demand for technically qualified professionals in customer service, engineering, finance, sales, HR, communication, health care legal and arts and creative field.

In terms of cities, out of the 13 under review, only three cities Kochi, Baroda and Coimbatore, witnessed a decline in online demand, while it increased in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Jaipur, the report said.

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