Festive hiring surge: Consumption sectors see 17% job growth; gig roles, female participation rise sharply

Hiring across key consumption-linked sectors in India rose by 17% year-on-year during August to October, fuelled by strong consumer sentiment, festive spending and deeper market penetration, according to a report by workforce solutions provider Adecco India.As cited by news agency PTI, report stated that the festive quarter saw a notable 25% increase in gig and temporary jobs compared to the same period in 2024. Adecco’s analysis, based on both internal data and industry reports, highlighted a sharp increase in short-term hiring across retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, and hospitality during the weeks around Dussehra.The company had earlier projected around 2.16 lakh gig and temporary roles in 2025, but the first three months of the festive season have already witnessed 37% growth in temporary staffing and a 15–20% jump in gig worker deployments.“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. “Hiring volumes and compensation payouts have surpassed the past three years, making 2025 the strongest year since post-COVID recovery”, Gupta further said, as per PTI.Gupta added that gig and temporary employment grew 25% over 2024, with female participation climbing 30–35%, especially in retail, logistics, customer support, and financial services. Salaries also rose by 12–15% for entry-level jobs and 18–22% for experienced roles.The hiring momentum is expected to continue through the upcoming wedding season and into early 2026, driven by sustained demand in hospitality, BFSI, travel, and logistics. Adecco expects overall hiring volumes to grow by 18–20% year-on-year during this extended period.While metros such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai accounted for nearly 80% of total deployments, tier II and III cities showed faster growth — recording a 21–25% rise in staffing demand. Cities including Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and Mysuru led this trend, with newer markets like Kanpur, Kochi, Vijayawada, and Varanasi emerging as key short-term employment hubs.Retail and e-commerce hiring surged 28%, driven by quick commerce and omni-channel expansion, while logistics and last-mile delivery recorded the highest growth at 35–40%. The BFSI sector also saw a 30% rise in demand for field sales and POS roles in smaller towns. Hospitality and travel posted a 25% rebound, aided by festive travel and wedding season bookings.