Tier II, III cities outshine metros with 21% hiring surge in Sep: Report

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India's smaller cities are driving the country's job market momentum, with tier II and III locations recording a sharp 21 per cent year-on-year surge in hiring during September, surpassing growth in metro hubs, a report said on Monday.

According to the latest foundit Insights Tracker (fit), a monthly report by jobs and talent platform foundit, India's tier II and III cities led the hiring surge in September, posting a 21 per cent year-on-year growth.

Hiring in tier II and III cities, such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Surat, Nagpur, and Chandigarh, grew 21 per cent year-on-year, boosted by e-commerce warehousing, retail expansion, customer support hubs, and festive tourism.

At the same time, overall hiring activity remained strong, with the Tracker recording over 17 per cent year-on-year and 4 per cent month-on-month growth, pointing to steady baseline hiring beyond festive demand, the report added.

"September's hiring momentum reflects a powerful combination of festive demand and the structural rise of tier II and III cities as long-term talent hubs.

"While metro markets continue to deliver steady growth, non-metro regions are leading the charge. This shift highlights a decentralised, diverse, and resilient employment landscape, creating opportunities for job seekers and strategic advantages for employers nationwide," foundit VP, Marketing, Anupama Bhimrajka said.

The Foundit Insights Tracker (formerly Monster Employment Index) is a report based on a comprehensive monthly analysis of online job posting activity on Foundit.in platform.

Further, the report revealed that the festive season has boosted hiring across consumer-facing sectors, with growth stronger than in 2024.

Hiring in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata grew 14 per cent year-on-year, driven by IT, BFSI, and Media and Entertainment, with strong demand for tech, finance, and marketing professionals, said the report.

Meanwhile, across functions, Sales and Marketing saw the sharpest year-on-year festive gains (5 per cent), followed by Customer Support and Operations (4 per cent), it stated.

Creative and Media roles also surged (4 per cent) yoy on the back of campaigns and OTT activity, while Technology and Product roles held steady (3 per cent).

Finance and Accounting grew modestly, aligned with festive loan and credit activity, the report said.