Festive hiring in India rises 17% as gig, temporary jobs surge: Report

Overall hiring volumes grew by 17 per cent year-on-year across key consumption-linked sectors during the August-October period, driven by heightened consumer sentiment, attractive festive promotions, and wider geographic penetration, according to a report.

According to the report by workforce solutions provider Adecco India, there was a 25 per cent surge in gig and temporary jobs compared to the same period in 2024.

The report, based on an analysis of internal data and external reports, noted that the weeks leading up to Dussehra and beyond saw a sharp rise in temporary staffing across retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, and hospitality.

Adecco had projected 2.16 lakh gig and temporary jobs in 2025, and within just three months, the industry has seen 37 per cent growth in temporary hiring and 15-20 per cent uptick in deployment of gig workers, underscoring the strength of seasonal demand.

"India's festive hiring this year reflects both economic confidence and the growing maturity of the gig economy. Hiring volumes and compensation payouts have surpassed the past three years, making 2025 the strongest year since the post-COVID normalisation phase.

"Gig and temporary hiring grew by 25 per cent over 2024, with female workforce participation rising by 30-35 per cent, particularly across roles in retail, customer support, logistics, and financial services," Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India, added.

Compensation improved by 12-15 per cent for entry-level positions and 18-22 per cent for experienced positions.

The momentum is likely to sustain through the upcoming wedding season and into March 2026, driven by continued demand across hospitality, travel, logistics, and BFSI, he said.

Overall hiring volumes for Adecco during this extended period are expected to grow by 18-20 per cent year-on-year, with tier II and III cities contributing nearly half of the incremental demand, he added.

Metro cities such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai continued to lead in absolute hiring volumes, accounting for 75-80 per cent of total deployments.

However, tier II and emerging cities registered a sharper upswing, with staffing demand rising by 21-25 per cent year-on-year.

Adecco data indicated that cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and Mysuru recorded 21 per cent growth, outpacing the 14 per cent increase seen in metros.

Newer markets, including Kanpur, Kochi, Vijayawada, and Varanasi, also emerged as significant short-term employment hubs with 18-20 per cent deployment, underscoring the geographic diversification of India's flexible workforce.

As per the report, retail and e-commerce led the surge with hiring up by 28 per cent over 2024, as omni-channel retail, quick commerce, and online marketplaces expanded temporary workforce needs across sales, warehouse, and delivery roles, while logistics and last-mile delivery saw the steepest growth at 35-40 per cent.

BFSI witnessed a significant rise in festive hiring, particularly for field sales, credit card and Point of Sale (POS) roles in tier II and III towns, up by 30 per cent year-on-year, it stated.

Hospitality and travel rebounded sharply, with demand for front-office, event, and F&B staff up by 25 per cent, buoyed by festive travel and early wedding season bookings, according to the report.