Festive hiring in India grows but workers seek security over short-term pay

A new survey of India's job market shows two in three jobseekers are now seeking full-time roles, using festive hiring as a launchpad for career growth

This year’s festive season is witnessing a striking shift in India’s job market. While employers are ramping up seasonal hiring, jobseekers are also no longer viewing festive roles as quick paydays. Instead, they are demanding stability and long-term prospects, according to a latest report by hiring platform Indeed.

 

The survey reveals that two out of three jobseekers now prefer full-time positions, viewing festive hiring as a springboard for long-term career growth. A striking 69 per cent prioritised financial stability, 61 per cent chose job security as their top concern, and 37 per cent demanded long-term benefits such as provident funds. In contrast, festive perks held little appeal as only 7 per cent valued seasonal bonuses and just 5 per cent prioritised paid leave.

 

“Today’s workers are thinking differently – they want stability and a future, not just quick income,” said Sashi Kumar, managing director, Indeed India.

 

The survey, conducted by Valuvox for Indeed, drew insights from 1,261 employers and 2,533 employees across 14 sectors, underscoring how India’s festive labour market is being reshaped by workers’ long-term ambitions.

 

Temporary jobs dominate amid rising demand 

Employers, however, remain focused on temporary contracts. More than half (53 per cent) of the respondents said that three out of four festive hires are on short-term terms, up 7 per cent from last year, while another 16 per cent admitted all their seasonal hiring is temporary, the survey revealed. Overall, the survey found that 75 per cent of the festive workforce is on non-permanent contracts between April and September 2025.

 

Despite this mismatch, demand for seasonal staff is growing. About 43 per cent of employers reported hiring more this festive season compared to last year, driven by sectors like e-commerce, logistics, retail, and hospitality. Key roles include marketing professionals, delivery drivers, and store managers.

 

Skills in focus as festive hiring evolves 

Interestingly, employers are seeking more than stop-gap workers. Nearly half said technical or domain know-how is hardest to find. Leadership and managerial abilities (41 per cent), teamwork (29 per cent), communication (26 per cent), and digital literacy (13 per cent) were also cited as critical.

 

This reflects a shift in seasonal hiring from merely filling frontline roles to sourcing “career-ready” candidates, suggesting festive jobs are climbing the skills ladder.

 

Gig hiring gets a festive push 

 

Earlier last month, Business Standard reported that adding to the momentum of festive hiring, digital talent solutions firm NLB Services estimates that the festive period could generate as many as 200,000 jobs nationwide across retail, e-commerce, logistics, and consumer services. Quick commerce platforms and third-party logistics players are expected to drive a significant share of this growth, aided by fresh investments in supply chain and last-mile delivery networks.