AI jobs see increased uptake among job seekers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) related job searches has witnessed a whopping 179% increase between June 2016 and June 2018, a study by job site Indeed has revealed.

AI-related jobs have seen an increase as companies are increasingly working towards integrating new technology into their core functions, creating new openings for skilled professionals. According to industry body Nasscom, a growth rate of 9% for new job roles that require a high level of skills has been predicted in the technology sector. Job searches for these roles too have continued to grow in recent years.

Since 2018, employer demand for AI skills has been consistently twice the supply of job seekers. From 1.2 in April 2017, the AI skills gap in India has steadily worsened, hitting a 3-year high of 2.2 in June 2018. This means, employer demand for AI skills outstrips job seeker supply by 2.2 times. This is an indicator of the need for skill development in the larger STEM sector (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and the technology sector in particular.

Research by the National Institute of Skill Development (NISD) indicates that only 2% of the country’s total workforce has undergone skills training presently.

Even as larger firms are slowing in terms of hiring, emerging startups and ecommerce firms are recruiting in comparatively larger numbers, says Indeed. However, companies continue to seek talent with specialised skills in developing and implementing artificial intelligence, given that India is still in the initial stages of the application of this technology, which emphasises the need for job seekers to work towards acquiring the requisite skills.

Apart from the wider technology industry, the automotive sector is a key driver of the application of artificial intelligence in India. Companies are increasingly looking at leveraging AI for data management, analytics and programming. While Data Scientist is the most searched AI related jobs in the past year, software engineer and machine learning engineer are ranked second and third, respectively.

Venkata Machavarapu, Head of Engineering, India and Site Director at Indeed India, said, “The integration of technologies such as AI and ML into core business is an inevitable step towards participating in the economies of the future. While firms across industries are adopting a technology-forward approach, it is crucial that we also prepare the workforce by reskilling and upskilling talent in the requisite capabilities."