10 Lakh Jobs This Festive Season; Major Surge in Women Working in Gig Industry

With the festive season approaching, all sectors in India are expected to witness a surge in demand for labour. Several industries are gearing up for a rise in employment, including retail, hospitality, e-commerce, logistics, consumer goods, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) and retail, NLB Services said in its latest assessment.

Among these industries, e-commerce is expected to see the greatest demand, with a 22% increase year-on-year, according to the talent solutions provider.

Businesses are expected to leverage this period by introducing new products and promotions as the festive season lasts until December. The e-commerce sector, in particular, is poised for a significant increase in sales, which will create a need for additional manpower and lead to an increase in both temporary and permanent hires. These positions will cover various roles in the supply chain, including warehouse workers, inventory managers, logistics coordinators, kirana partners, and delivery drivers.

As a result, demand for rapid commerce delivery services is expected to increase by 30% during peak customer demand days. Other key factors influencing job growth include consumer spending, seasonal business needs, economic indicators, and industry trends.

Key locations

In major metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, seasonal employment has increased by 15% compared to last year, while in second-tier cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Kochi, Vizag, Madurai, Lucknow, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Indore, Coimbatore, Surat, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal, the increase is even higher, ranging from 20% to 25%.

In terms of employment types, this holiday season is also expected to bring a significant increase in job opportunities, with a 35% increase in both white-collar and blue-collar positions. Of these new positions, around 70% will be temporary to meet seasonal demand, while the remaining 30% are likely to be permanent, offering more stable, long-term positions.

Women’s participation

In particular, the gig economy is expected to see a significant increase in female participation, with a 35% increase. Women are increasingly attracted to the flexibility and variety of roles available in the gig economy, including brand advocacy, beauty and grooming, online tutoring, home help, taxi driving and food delivery.

Overall, the holiday season offers promising prospects for job seekers, especially women who are looking for flexible and varied employment opportunities.

Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, highlighted the significant opportunity that the festive season presents, which allows both temporary and permanent workers to increase their earnings. He said that roles such as delivery drivers, customer service representatives, technical support specialists and freelance designers are expected to see the highest demand. Salaries for these roles, currently ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 16,000, are expected to increase by 10-20% over the next 3-4 months, driven by the increase in demand.

Alug also noted the sharp increase in job creation during this period, recalling that some 500,000 temporary and casual jobs were added last year, mainly due to the festive and wedding season.

This year, it predicts even bigger growth, with more than a million temporary jobs added. That growth is being fueled by factors including booming e-commerce activity, the expansion of the gig economy and increased consumer demand during the festival season.