Temporary staffing demand is expected to generate 2.5-2.7 lakh jobs in the upcoming festive season, led by hiring in e-commerce, logistics, quick commerce, organised retail and BFSI sectors. Meanwhile, Temporary and gig hiring for the 2026 festive season will grow 15-20 per cent year-on-year, Talent company Adecco India said in its report, considering last year's strong base of an estimated 2.16 lakh jobs created across the organised sector.
Tier-II, Tier-III Cities Lead Workforce Demand
The report also states that approximately 45% of labour force demand this year will come from Tier II and III cities like Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Coimbatore, supported by the rise of e-commerce, organised retail growth, and increasing consumption in these markets.
Temporary salaries are also expected to increase by 12-15 per cent in metro markets and 8-10 per cent in Tier II and III areas.
Also Read: Uniform And Investment Friendly: Why Industry Leaders Laud Mines And Mineral Amendment Bill 2026
Tier I cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad experienced the highest talent shortage at 30 per cent, with workforce mobility and a growing preference for gig work making sourcing and retention more difficult, the report further stated.
On the profiles driving demand, the report found that this year's recruitment is less about new job categories and more about expanding essential functional roles.
"This year's festive season is seeing hiring intent remain resilient despite a more complex global business environment. While domestic consumption continues to support demand across retail, e-commerce, logistics and other consumer-facing sectors, employers are also planning more cautiously amid geopolitical developments, energy price volatility, evolving global trade dynamics and continued uncertainty across export-oriented industries," Adecco India Director and Head of General Staffing Deepesh Gupta said.
Gig Roles To Be Up For Hiring
According to the report, retail sales associates, field sales executives, merchants, customer support representatives, and manufacturing operators remain central to in-store and BFSI hiring as businesses increasingly invest in fulfilment and improved customer experiences.
Demand for multilingual candidates is high as Employers are increasingly seeking those who are fluent in Hindi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi, digitally skilled, and comfortable in customer-facing and operational roles.
Skills such as adaptability, digital literacy, and strong communication are the key differentiators in recruitment across key sectors, including retail, logistics, BFSI, and e-commerce.
Talent Availability Remains Big Challenge
Despite this strong recruitment outlook, talent availability remains a challenge, with around 80 per cent of employers facing shortages in frontline and functional roles this festive season.
Also Read: 'Restore Fuel With Lower Ethanol Blends For Older Vehicles': CEA Nageswaran Amid E20 Petrol Row
Adecco estimates that the demand-supply gap is 10-15 per cent during peak hiring periods.
The report notes that about 25 per cent of seasonal associates are likely to move on to long-term assignments, reflecting the growing role of festive employment as an entry point into India’s organised workforce. The Adecco India report is based on input from more than 100 clients of the company and includes reliable market research sources.
(With Inputs From PTI)