Mangaluru: India’s upcoming festive season is creating a fresh wave of employment opportunities, with hiring for gig and seasonal roles rising by around 15–20 per cent, according to an estimate by TeamLease Services.

The increase comes as e-commerce, quick-commerce, logistics, retail and consumer businesses prepare for a sharp rise in shopping and deliveries. Importantly, the employment growth is spreading beyond major metropolitan centres, with Tier-II and Tier-III cities emerging as key hiring markets.

Delivery and warehouse jobs lead demand

Delivery associates remain among the most sought-after workers as online orders are expected to rise during the festive period. Warehouses and fulfilment centres are also recruiting additional staff to manage inventory and increased order volumes.

Retail outlets are hiring store associates, field sales executives and in-store promoters, while dark stores require fulfilment workers. Companies are also seeking inventory coordinators, warehouse automation operators and staff for returns and quality-related functions.

TeamLease Services Senior Vice-President Balasubramanian Anantha Narayanan said employers were increasingly moving from volume-based recruitment towards hiring workers with specific skills for frontline roles.

Smaller cities see a growing share of opportunities

The festive hiring boom is increasingly reaching smaller cities as local consumption expands. According to Apna CEO Kartik Narayan, Tier-II and Tier-III cities now account for nearly 55 per cent of gig postings, compared with about 39 per cent two years ago.

Quick-commerce opportunities in smaller cities have reportedly grown sharply, creating employment options closer to workers’ homes and reducing the need to migrate to metros.

Incentives add to festive employment appeal

While workers in Tier-I cities generally command higher compensation, companies are offering incentives to attract and retain staff during the busy season. These include surge pay, productivity-linked payouts, referral bonuses, fuel allowances, shift allowances and attendance or tenure-completion bonuses.

The trend also points to wider opportunities for women in frontline roles as businesses expand their operations deeper into India.