Gig Economy Growth In Festive Season

Gig economy booms during the festive season, with 200,000 new jobs expected in the quick commerce and logistics sectors.

According to data shared by NLB Services, hiring will increase by approximately 20 to 25 percent this year compared to last year.

Recruitment of gig workers is expected to pick up across the country for this festive season. According to digital talent solutions firm NLB Services, sectors like retail, e-commerce, logistics, and consumer services are expected to create up to 200,000 jobs during the festive season. However, sectors like quick commerce and third-party logistics are expected to generate more employment opportunities than others. These will be bolstered by investments in supply chain and last-mile delivery infrastructure.

The report states that this boom is expected to boost hiring in mid-sized cities and urban areas, increase the number of women, and increase hiring, which means the workforce is now being hired with a long-term perspective.

According to data shared by NLB Services, hiring this year will increase by approximately 20 to 25 percent compared to last year. Gig roles are expected to account for 70 percent of new jobs, and permanent jobs for 30 percent. However, unlike previous years, this surge in gig worker hiring is not merely a seasonal surge.

As per Business Standard, TeamLease Chief Executive Officer (Staffing) Kartik Narayan also said that gig worker hiring is expected to increase by 60% in quick commerce companies alone, adding 1.5 to 2 million new roles. He said that e-commerce-related logistics roles are also expected to grow steadily. Currently, e-commerce-related logistics roles account for approximately 35 to 40% of all gig workers.

As the pace of recruitment has increased, so too are the number of employees. Operating costs are also lower in mid-sized cities and urban areas, which is why new recruitment is taking place there. NLB Services said, "Cities like Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Indore, Surat, and Nagpur are expected to see a 30 to 40 percent increase in gig worker hiring this year compared to last year's festive season. These cities are emerging as small-scale fulfillment hubs for retail and e-commerce companies. Last year, mid-sized cities accounted for approximately 47 percent of total gig worker hiring during the festive season." The company said this figure is expected to increase to 50 percent by FY2026.

Furthermore, this year's festive season hiring includes a significant number of women workers. The gig economy, especially in customer experience, delivery, grooming, and food services, will see a significant increase in female workforce participation. The company said, "The number of women taking on short-term or gig-based roles during this festive season is expected to increase by 30 to 35 percent compared to FY2025. This could be driven by flexible work schedules, digital hiring, and localized job placement. Last year, 72 percent of gig hires were men and 28 percent were women. However, early estimates this year indicate an increasing share of women in urban and semi-urban areas."