Automation, remote work, AI, and the gig economy are all dramatically changing the nature of work.

Indian job seekers may finally have some reason to rejoice.

After declining for three quarters, India’s hiring momentum is expected to pick up pace during the October-December period, a recent report by US-based workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup said.

The report is based on a survey of 5,005 Indian companies that were asked, “How do you anticipate total employment at your location to change in the three months to the end of December 2017 as compared to the current quarter?”

India’s hiring sentiment during the last three months of this year is likely to be better than that of a number of countries, including the US, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia, the report said.

Where to look for jobs?

The services sector in India is expected to see maximum hiring during the last three months of 2017, while finance, insurance, and real estate are likely to remain laggards in terms of recruitment, according to the report.

“With (the) increased focus of the government on the ease of doing business, many MNCs find a conducive investment climate in India, resulting in creation of employment opportunities and business growth,” AG Rao, the group managing director at ManpowerGroup India said. “Looking at the current positive outlook of the economy, e-commerce giants are in the process of ramping up workforce across various functions, particularly engineers and other specialists, with an intention to be technology, product, and engineering-driven companies.”

With peak sales season around the corner, Amazon India, for instance, is looking to hire 22,000 temporary workers for its fulfilment centres, sortation centres, and delivery and customer service sites.

But while there’s a lot of hope, job seekers do need to step up their skills, because prospective employers are likely to be very picky. “Companies are cautiously hiring and going to ever-greater lengths to identify the candidates who have the right mix of skills. The job-seekers need to have industry knowledge with practical intelligence,” Rao said.