NEW DELHI: Public sector banks recruited 50,552 employees in the last financial year, 33% higher than 37,860 hired in the previous financial year, as they expanded their operations.
Recruitment Drive through IBPS
In a statement, the finance ministry said that offer letters were sent to over 50,000 candidates in 2025-26 after the recruitment exercise conducted through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). This adds to nearly 1.5 lakh employees recruited by the state-run lenders between 2019-20 and 2024-25. At the end of March 2025, public sector banks, which control the majority of business in the country, had 7,58,172 employees, according to data shared with Parliament. It was after a gap of several years that the headcount in government-owned banks went up.
Employee Distribution across Major Banks
With a little under 2.4 lakh employees at the end of FY25, State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, accounted for nearly 31% of the headcount, followed by over one lakh at Punjab National Bank and 81,260 at Canara Bank. There were over one lakh contractual workers in these banks at the end of June 2025, the government had told Parliament.
Shift in Recruitment Trends
In January 2025, officers made up nearly 56% of the workforce, compared with 39% in 2011, indicating a shift in recruitment trends in recent years. The finance ministry said enhanced recruitment is expected to strengthen operational capacity, reduce workload pressures, and improve customer service.
