India’s festive season to generate over 2.16 lakh jobs in 2025: Report
Metro cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune continue to lead in seasonal hiring demand, up 19% from last year
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India’s festive season is set to generate over 2.16 lakh seasonal jobs, reflecting a 15–20% year-on-year rise in gig and temporary employment during the second half of 2025. The temporary hiring is likely to be seen in retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, hospitality, travel, and FMCG sectors.
According to a report by Adecco India, a subsidiary of the Adecco Group AG, a HR solutions provider, "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. 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".
Metro cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Pune continue to lead in seasonal hiring demand, up 19% from last year. At the same time, Tier 2 cities like Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, and Varanasi are witnessing a 42% increase in demand. Notably, there’s growing traction in emerging hubs such as Kanpur, Kochi, and Vijayawada, indicating a broader geographic spread of festive hiring.
Notably, the compensation levels are expected to rise by 12-15% in metro markets and by 18-22% in emerging cities.
“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. To address these evolving needs, we began accelerating employee screening and workforce mapping across the top 20 markets early in the year. Our average turnaround time from application to deployment has now reduced to 17 days, enabled by digital screening processes and mobile-first onboarding tools. We have already recorded a 19% increase in demand for seasonal roles compared to the same period last year, and we are prepared to address this if this grows in the coming quarters," Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing, Adecco India, said.
Hiring in logistics and delivery is projected to rise by 30–35% 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 II and III cities. The demand is therefore expected to grow by 30%. The hospitality and travel segments are expected to see a 20-25% increase in hiring, while e-commerce and retail will continue to dominate, accounting for 35-40% of total seasonal job creation. Employers are increasingly prioritizing multilingual capabilities, customer-handling skills, and digital proficiency—especially for roles in in-store sales, credit card promotions, and delivery fulfilment.
As per the report, candidates being onboarded for festive roles are typically aged between 18 and 30 years, with qualifications ranging from high school to undergraduate degrees. A large portion of this workforce includes first-time job seekers or those with prior gig experience.
