India festive season hiring projected to grow 15-20 per cent

Temporary and gig hiring in India is projected to grow by 15-20 per cent during the 2026 festive season. Reports from TeamLease Services and Adecco India indicate that the surge will be driven by sectors including e-commerce, quick commerce, logistics, organised retail, FMCG, and BFSI.

Adecco India estimates that staffing demand could generate between 2.5 and 2.7 lakh jobs. While tier I cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad face a talent crunch of approximately 30 per cent, about 45 per cent of workforce demand is expected to originate from tier II and tier III cities such as Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Coimbatore.

Industry experts note a shift from simple volume recruitment toward specialized frontline and operational roles to support extended sale windows and omnichannel consumer journeys. Wage growth is also anticipated, with temporary wages expected to rise by 12-15 per cent in metro markets and 8-10 per cent in smaller cities.