India’s festive season to generate over 2.16 lakh jobs, hiring demand up 15-20 pc

New Delhi: India’s festive season this year is set to generate over 2.16 lakh seasonal jobs, reflecting a 15–20 per cent year-on-year rise in gig and temporary employment during the second half of 2025, a report said on Wednesday.

Key sectors driving this surge include retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, hospitality, travel, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).

Hiring activity has gained momentum in anticipation of marquee events such as Raksha Bandhan, Big Billion Days, Prime Day Sale, Dussehra, Diwali, and the wedding season, Adecco India, an HR service provider, said in its report.

Many companies are advancing their hiring cycles to stay ahead of demand and ensure operational readiness for what is expected to be a stronger-than-usual festive period.

As per the report, this year’s hiring uptick is being driven by improved consumer sentiment, a favourable monsoon boosting rural demand, post-election economic optimism, and aggressive seasonal promotions.

Metro cities such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune continue to lead in seasonal hiring demand, up 19 per cent from last year.

At the same time, tier 2 cities like Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Varanasi are witnessing a 42 per cent increase in job demand. In addition, tier-2 cities like Kanpur, Kochi, and Vijayawada are emerging as new hiring hubs, the report noted.

Compensation levels are expected to rise as well. It may go up by 12-15 per cent in metro markets and by 18-22 per cent in emerging cities.

Encouragingly, 23 per cent more women are participating in this seasonal hiring wave compared to previous years, driven by a rising preference for flexible, short-term roles.

“This year’s festive season is seeing a sharper and more structured demand curve, and we have proactively prepared to meet it well in advance. Unlike previous years where hiring was largely volume-driven, employers today are equally focused on deployment speed, workforce readiness, and regional agility,” said Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India.

Hiring in logistics and delivery is projected to rise by 30–35 per cent as companies scale up last-mile operations in preparation for peak festive demand.

In the BFSI sector, firms are significantly ramping up field force deployments for credit card sales and POS installations, particularly across tier 2 and 3 cities.

The hospitality and travel segments are expected to see a 20-25 per cent increase in hiring, while e-commerce and retail will continue to dominate, accounting for 35-40 per cent of total seasonal job creation, said the report.

IANS