High festive demand pushes up demand for gig and temp workers: Report

Over 400,000 gig and temporary workers were reportedly hired to meet the high demand during this year's festive season

Over 400,000 gig and temporary workers were hired to serve the high festive demand in 2022 as India celebrated Diwali without lockdown restrictions after two years. According to a report in Mint, the hirings were led by logistics, e-commerce and food tech platforms. 

“This festive season, hiring has beaten all previous records. This time, the festivals are clubbed together, so that brings with it more recruitment. Pre-pandemic, during the festive season, about 200,000 would get hired. Now, with gig workforce and organized temp staffing, the numbers can cross 400,000," Lohit Bhatia, president of the Indian Staffing Federation, an apex body authorized to discuss with government agencies and trade bodies on behalf of the staffing industry, told Mint. 

Gig workers and temporary workers are usually considered to be the same. However, gig workers work for a shorter duration of time and temporary workers may sometimes get insurance and other benefits. 

“Temp hiring was tough to fulfil even when mandates came in at the last minute, as candidates already had an assignment. Appetite for shorter contracts has upped from 45 days to three months. They are ready to pay a premium of 10-15 per cent more for such assignments. Temp staffing used to be about nine months typically," Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder and executive director of TeamLease Services, told Mint. 

According to a report by Assocham, India’s gig sector is expected to expand to $455 billion by 2024. It has the potential to expand at least 2X the pre-pandemic estimates. By 2025, India is likely to have 350 million gig jobs. 

However, the Mint report quoted an expert as saying that the demand for such workers is expected to slow down a bit post the festive season, more so after December.