Rising costs pushing Indian workers to side gigs, smaller cities: Survey

According to an Indeed survey, nearly seven in 10 employees say their income does not comfortably support their lifestyle

Rising living costs are changing how Indians work, earn and plan their careers, with workers increasingly turning to side gigs, seeking better-paying jobs and considering moves away from expensive metro cities, according to a survey by hiring platform Indeed. 

The findings are based on a survey of 1,207 employees and 1,013 employers across India conducted by Indeed. The survey found that 68 per cent of employees said their current income does not comfortably support their lifestyle, highlighting a widening gap between salary growth and day-to-day expenses. While 32 per cent said their income was just enough to cover costs, 24 per cent described their finances as difficult to manage and 12 per cent reported significant financial stress. Only 13 per cent said their income comfortably met their cost of living. 

 

About 41 per cent of employees said they feel more financially stressed today than they did two years ago.

Why are workers seeking additional income streams?

Financial strain is increasingly influencing career decisions. 

More than one-third of employees surveyed said rising living costs had prompted them to actively seek or remain open to better-paying opportunities. At the same time, side incomes are becoming more common, with 14 per cent regularly earning through freelancing or additional work and another 19 per cent doing so occasionally. A further 24 per cent said they were considering starting an additional source of income. 

Taken together, nearly six in 10 employees are either supplementing their primary income or considering doing so, signalling a shift towards income diversification rather than reliance on salary increases alone.

Why are metro workers open to moving out?

The survey suggests affordability concerns are also reshaping where people want to live and work. 

Housing costs emerged as the biggest quality-of-life challenge, cited by 39 per cent of employees. Traffic and commute times, as well as rising day-to-day expenses, were each cited by 27 per cent of respondents. 

Consequently, more than half of metro-based employees — 54 per cent — said they would consider relocating to a Tier-2 or Tier-3 city if similar career opportunities were available. The willingness to relocate was highest among employees in Hyderabad, followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru. 

Employers are beginning to respond to the trend. Around 43 per cent said Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are becoming increasingly important to their hiring strategies, indicating a gradual broadening of India’s talent landscape beyond major metropolitan centres.

Why does job security trump higher pay?

Despite concerns over income, employees are not focused solely on higher salaries. 

When asked what would most influence future career decisions, 41 per cent ranked job stability and security as their top priority, ahead of higher salary and compensation, which was cited by 30 per cent. Lower living costs and better work-life balance were also important considerations. 

The survey also found a disconnect between employee expectations and employer responses. While 73 per cent of employers said rising living costs were affecting workers in their organisations and 56 per cent reported growing salary expectations, 77 per cent said they had not introduced new workplace measures or support programmes to help employees manage higher expenses.