Hiring declined for the third consecutive month in August, said the Monster Employment Index.

Recruitment in the major sector of agro-based industries declined by 23 per cent last month, it said. 

The highest decline in online hiring was, however, witnessed in the printing and packaging segment, with a fall of 28 per cent in August.

Commenting on the hiring trends, Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO, Monster.com for APAC and the Gulf region said: “The current ease in hiring activity is indicative of a cautious hiring scenario owing to merger and acquisitions and an increasing demand for skilled candidates.”

Among the sectors which registered a growth in online hiring, the production and manufacturing sector recorded the highest growth of 64 per cent in August, the report said. Hiring in the retail segment rose 48 per cent during the period under review. In banking and financial services, there was an increase of 14 per cent in online hiring last month, as per the report.