Led by smaller cities, seasonal hiring to jump 20% this festive season

India is likely to witness a 20 per cent jump in hiring for seasonal jobs compared to last year, with a considerable push from Tier-2 and 3 cities, according to findings released by a hiring platform on Thursday.

Seasonal jobs are short-term jobs taken up during a particular period of time. They may be part-time or full-time and typically last six months or less.

The findings by hiring platform Indeed highlighted that these jobs in metro cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Kolkata will likely jump 18-20 per cent. However, in smaller Tier-2 and 3 cities like Jaipur, Kochi, Vizag, Lucknow and Chandigarh, there may be a higher demand for these jobs in the range of 22-25 per cent.

Indeed said that this may be because, in tier-2 and 3 cities, consumer spending is rising due to improving economic conditions and growing disposable incomes.

“Additionally, the increased internet penetration and digital adoption in these regions have enabled e-commerce, retail, and logistics companies to drive better customer experiences, creating more demand for a flexible workforce that can handle seasonal spikes in activity,” it said.

This is also evident from the increasing focus of e-commerce and quick commerce platforms in the smaller cities ahead of the festive season. In India, the festive season starts from Onam and ends with Diwali. It includes Navratri, Durga Puja, and Dussehra.

Zepto has announced that it would launch dark stores in smaller cities like Ahmedabad and Kanpur. Zomato's Blinkit has also launched in tier-2 cities like Kochi, Haridwar and Vijayawada. Swiggy Instamart is also working on improving its efficiency.

Moreover, according to a report by hiring and recruitment services platform TeamLease, e-commerce firms expect a 35 per cent rise in their sales this festive season.

The findings of Indeed also showed that the highest increase in job postings this year has been witnessed in e-commerce where 35 per cent more jobs are being offered this year than in 2023.

It is followed by 15 per cent in Logistics and 14 per cent in retail. In quick commerce, job postings have increased 11 per cent this year.

In terms of job titles, the highest increase was seen in postings for delivery executives at 30 per cent. It was followed by 25 per cent of warehouse workers and 20 per cent of logistics coordinators.

“The festive season is a crucial period for businesses across India, and we're seeing a significant uptick in hiring for seasonal roles as companies prepare to meet heightened consumer demand,” said Sashi Kumar, head of Sales at Indeed India.

“The industries that are growing— e-commerce, logistics, quick commerce — are doing so because they’re aligned with the needs and behaviours of today’s consumers. This is where the future of India’s job market could be heading,” Kumar added.