NLB Services Forecast Up to 10 Lakh Jobs This Festive Season, Notable Surge In Gig, Female Workforce

As the festive season approaches, all sectors in India are expected to see a sharp increase in demand for workforce. Many industries are gearing up for a rise in hiring, including retail, hotel, e-commerce, logistics, consumer goods, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), and retail, said NLB Services in its latest assessment.

According to the talent solutions provider, among these industries e-commerce will see the highest demand with a 22% increase over last year.

Businesses are anticipated to take advantage of this period by launching new products and promotions as the holiday season continues through December. The e-commerce sector, in particular, is poised for a major surge in sales, driving a need for an extra workforce and leading to an uptick in both temporary and permanent hires. These jobs will cover various supply chain roles, including warehouse staff, inventory managers, logistics coordinators, kirana partners, and delivery drivers.

As a result, it is anticipated that on days of peak demand from customers, the demand for gig delivery riders on rapid commerce platforms will increase by 30%. Additional key drivers for increased hiring include consumer spending, seasonal business needs, economic indicators, and industry-specific trends.

Key Locations

Major metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata have seen a 15% rise in seasonal hiring compared to last year, while Tier 2 cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Kochi, Vizag, Madurai, Lucknow, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Indore, Coimbatore, Surat, Bhubaneswar, and Bhopal are experiencing an even stronger growth ranging from 20% to 25%.

In terms of employment type, this festive season is also expected to bring a significant boost in job opportunities, with a 35% increase in both white-collar and blue-collar positions. Of these new roles, around 70% will be temporary to meet the seasonal demand, while the remaining 30% are likely to be permanent, offering more stable, long-term positions.

Female Participation

The gig economy, in particular, is projected to experience a notable rise in female participation, with a 35% increase. Women are increasingly drawn to the flexibility and variety of roles available in the gig economy, including brand advocacy, beauty and grooming, online tutoring, domestic help, cab driving, and food delivery.

Overall, the festive season presents a promising outlook for job seekers, especially women looking for flexible and varied employment opportunities.

Sachin Alug, CEO of NLB Services, emphasised the significant opportunities presented by the festive season, which enables both temporary and permanent workers to increase their earnings. He highlighted that roles such as delivery drivers, customer service representatives, tech support specialists, and freelance designers are expected to experience the highest demand. Salaries for these positions, currently ranging between Rs 12,000 and Rs 16,000, are projected to rise by 10-20% over the next 3-4 months, driven by the surge in demand.

Alug also underscored the surge in job creation during this period, recalling that last year saw the addition of approximately 500,000 temporary and gig jobs, primarily due to the festive and wedding season.

This year, he anticipates even greater growth, with over 1 million temporary jobs expected. This rise is driven by factors such as booming e-commerce activity, the expansion of the gig economy, and heightened consumer demand during the festival season.