India’s festive season has powered a sharp rebound in short-term employment, with gig and temporary jobs rising 25% during August–October 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to Adecco India’s Festive Hiring Analysis released on Thursday.
Overall hiring volumes across key consumption-linked sectors grew by 17% year-on-year, driven by strong consumer sentiment, expanded retail activity, and wider geographic reach. Adecco had projected 2.16 lakh gig and temporary roles for the year, but the company now reports 37% growth in temporary hiring and a 15–20% increase in gig worker deployments within just three months — underscoring the strength of seasonal labour demand.
“India’s festive hiring this year reflects both economic confidence and the growing maturity of the gig economy,” said Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing at Adecco India, in a statement. “Hiring volumes and compensation payouts have surpassed the past three years, making 2025 the strongest year since the post-COVID normalization phase.”
E-commerce, Retail, and Logistics Lead the Boom
The surge was most visible in retail, e-commerce, logistics, BFSI, and hospitality, with hiring peaking around Dussehra and Diwali.
India’s e-commerce sector recorded a 24% year-on-year rise in Diwali 2025 order volumes, led by a 120% jump in quick commerce and rising demand from Tier-II cities.
Retail and E-commerce: Up 28% over 2024, supported by omni-channel expansion and festive discounts.
Logistics and Last-mile Delivery: Up 35–40%, driven by record online sales and faster fulfilment cycles.
BFSI: Hiring rose 30%, particularly for field sales, POS, and credit card roles in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns.
Hospitality and Travel: Demand jumped 25%, aided by festive tourism and early wedding season bookings (up 37%).
Tier-2 Cities Outpace Metros
While Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai accounted for nearly 80% of total deployments, Tier-2 and emerging cities recorded stronger momentum. Staffing demand in non-metro markets climbed 21–25% year-on-year, compared to 14% growth in metros.
Cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and Mysuru posted around 21% growth, while newer employment hubs including Kanpur, Kochi, Vijayawada, and Varanasi saw 18–20% increases in gig and temporary deployments.
Higher Wages, Broader Participation
Adecco’s data shows 12–15% wage increases for entry-level roles and 18–22% for experienced staff. The period also saw a 15–20% influx of fresh talent across over 20 key markets.
Female workforce participation grew by 30–35%, particularly in retail, logistics, financial services, and customer-support roles — an encouraging indicator of inclusive growth in the flexible work segment.
“Gig and temporary hiring grew by 25% over 2024, with female workforce participation rising sharply,” Gupta added. “The momentum is likely to continue through the wedding season and into early 2026.”
Momentum Likely to Sustain
Adecco expects strong hiring trends to persist through March 2026, supported by ongoing activity in hospitality, travel, logistics, and BFSI. The company forecasts 18–20% overall hiring growth during this extended period, with Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities contributing nearly half of incremental demand.
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