In stark contrast to the fears of economic slowdown hurting the country's labour market,

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two separate job market surveys today suggested an improving employment scenario and predicted robust hiring activities for the new year -- which could be the best in the world.

Painting an optimistic picture, global HR firm Manpower said in its quarterly job market report that Indian employers are the most bullish globally when it comes to hiring, with robust recruitment plans for the next three months -- the first quarter of the new year 2012.

In a separate monthly report, job portal Naukri.Com said that hiring activities surged in November across all sectors.

Against the backdrop of contraction in industrial output and gloomy economic growth prospects, concerns are rising that such situation could seriously hurt employment in the country.

According to Manpower, Indian employers have reported the most optimistic hiring intentions among the 41 countries and territories where its survey is conducted.

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey revealed the outlook has improved in six out of seven industry sectors for the March, 2012, quarter, compared to previous three months.

As per the report, the services sector (+49 per cent) and mining and construction sector (+47 per cent) present the brightest hiring opportunities for job seekers in the next three months.

Meanwhile, the monthly Naukri Job Speak index -- an indicator of online job demand -- showed that hiring activities moved up across all sectors last month from the levels seen in October, signalling a "seasonal spike".

Expressing concerns over declining industrial output, industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) yesterday said that any further contraction "would have serious consequences on employment and livelihoods."

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