Festive season hiring expected to generate up to 2.7 lakh gig jobs: Report

The upcoming festive season is anticipated to create up to 2.7 lakh gig jobs, primarily driven by sectors such as ecommerce, logistics, quick commerce, organized retail, and BFSI, according to a report released on Monday. Talent firm Adecco India predicts that temporary and gig hiring for the 2026 festive season will increase by 15-20% compared to the previous year, building upon last year's strong foundation of approximately 2.16 lakh jobs in the organized sector.

Despite a more intricate global business landscape, employers are maintaining optimism as domestic consumption continues to fuel demand in retail, ecommerce, logistics, and other customer-facing industries. However, businesses are adopting a more cautious approach due to factors like geopolitical shifts, energy price fluctuations, evolving global trade, and ongoing uncertainty in export-dependent sectors.

Adecco India's Director and Head of General Staffing, Deepesh Gupta, highlighted that around 45% of workforce demand this year will emanate from Tier II and Tier III cities like Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Coimbatore, fueled by the expansion of ecommerce, retail growth, and heightened consumer activity in these markets. Conversely, Tier I cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad are grappling with the most acute talent shortage at 30%, driven by heightened workforce mobility and a rising inclination towards gig work.

Temporary wages are projected to surge by 12-15% in metro regions and 8-10% in Tier II and Tier III areas. The report underscores that this year's hiring is primarily focused on scaling existing operational roles rather than introducing new job categories. Retail sales associates, customer support representatives, field sales executives, merchandisers, and manufacturing operators are at the forefront of in-store and BFSI-driven hiring.

Employers are actively seeking multilingual candidates proficient in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi, who possess digital literacy and strong communication skills. Despite a robust hiring outlook, talent scarcity poses a significant challenge, with approximately 80% of employers facing shortages in frontline and operational roles for the festive season.

Adecco estimates a 10-15% gap in demand versus supply during the peak hiring period. Roughly 25% of seasonal associates are projected to transition into permanent positions, reflecting the increasing significance of festive employment as a pathway into India's organized workforce. The Adecco India report, compiled based on insights from over 100 clients, is supported by reliable market research sources.