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Adecco sees up to 2.7 lakh festive gig and temporary jobs in 2026
Our read
Festive retail hiring will deepen the shift of fulfilment jobs to Tier-II/III India while metro labour scarcity raises the operating cost of fast delivery and peak-season retail.
For operators
Plan festive workforce capacity early: 2.5–2.7 lakh temporary and gig roles will intensify competition for frontline talent, especially in metros, while Tier II/III hiring pools offer a critical scaling opportunity.
Watch
Temporary wage rates, joining bonuses and absenteeism levels in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other major consumption hubs.
The report,
Adecco India forecasts 2.5-2.7 lakh festive-season temporary and gig jobs, led by e-commerce, logistics, quick commerce and organised retail. Hiring demand is shifting toward smaller cities, while metros face acute talent shortages and wage inflation.
Reported figures
From the report. Source details below
| Report based on inputs from | over 100 Adecco clients |
|---|
Also in the report
- 15-20% year-on-year hiring growth expected
- 2.16 lakh organised-sector jobs estimated last festive season
- 45% of workforce demand expected from tier II and III cities
- 30% talent crunch in tier I cities
- 12-15% temporary wage increase expected in metro markets
- 8-10% wage increase expected in tier II and III regions
- 80% of employers report frontline and operational talent shortages
- 10-15% peak-period demand-supply gap
- 25% of seasonal associates expected to move into longer-term assignments
Why it matters to operators
Prioritise partnerships or acquisitions in regional staffing, last-mile logistics and workforce-management platforms, as Tier II/III cities could generate 45% of seasonal labour demand.
What to watch next
- Pre-festive order volumes, app downloads, conversion rates and delivery-slot availability at e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms.
- Warehouse leasing, dark-store additions and last-mile hub expansion in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
- Delivery-fee changes, surge-pricing frequency and retailer promotional intensity.
- Gig-worker supply indicators, including platform onboarding, attrition and contractor fill rates.
- Post-festival contract extensions and seasonal inventory clearance activity.
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Secure staffing capacity earlier in Tier-II and Tier-III clusters, particularly for warehousing, sorting, delivery and dark-store roles.
- Increase use of variable-pay structures tied to attendance, productivity and peak-hour availability rather than broad base-wage increases.
- Map metro labour hotspots and redesign shift schedules, transport, meal support and referral incentives to improve frontline retention.
- Use demand forecasting to stagger hiring by category, city and sale-event calendar, limiting post-festival excess labour.
- Expand staffing-vendor diversification and compliance checks as gig-worker volumes rise.
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
The forecast may overstate underlying labour-market strength because festive hiring is seasonal, temporary and often replaces informal or existing staffing rather than creating durable net employment. Retailers and platforms could also curb hiring if consumption weakens, discounting pressures margins, or automation and route-density improvements reduce frontline labour needs.