India’s festive season is expected to generate over 2.16 lakh seasonal jobs this year, marking a 15–20% increase in hiring compared to 2024, according to Adecco India. The surge is being driven by sectors such as retail, e-commerce, BFSI, logistics, hospitality, and travel, as companies prepare for peak demand during Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, and year-end wedding festivities.
Hiring activity has picked up earlier than usual this year, influenced by improved consumer sentiment, a favourable monsoon, and post-election economic optimism. “Unlike previous years where hiring was largely volume-driven, employers today are equally focused on deployment speed, workforce readiness, and regional agility,” said Deepesh Gupta, Director and Head of General Staffing at Adecco India.
Metro cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai continue to dominate hiring demand, with a 19% rise over last year. Meanwhile, Tier 2 locations such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, and Mysuru have seen a 42% growth, pointing to a broader geographic distribution of festive hiring.
Compensation levels are also on the rise, with metro markets seeing a 12–15% increase and emerging cities registering up to 22% growth. The participation of women in seasonal roles has risen by 23%, driven by a preference for flexible, short-term engagements.
Sectors leading the demand include logistics and delivery (up 30–35%), BFSI (30%), hospitality and travel (20–25%), while e-commerce and retail are expected to account for nearly 40% of seasonal hiring. Employers are increasingly prioritizing candidates with multilingual skills and digital fluency, especially for frontline roles in sales, customer service, and delivery.
Adecco noted that many employers are beginning to view seasonal roles as more than just short-term staffing solutions. “Seasonal hiring is no longer a stop-gap but a strategic workforce layer,” added Gupta, highlighting that structured career pathways and retention models are being actively developed.
Adecco India plans to deploy 8,000 to 10,000 seasonal hires between July and December 2025, with a large portion of the demand emerging from Tier 2 and 3 cities. Retention has also improved with incentives like joining bonuses and attendance-based rewards, contributing to a 20–25% increase in workforce continuity compared to previous years.
