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India Festive Hiring Rises 7% as White-Collar Market Cools
India had 127,080 festive-season job openings in 2026, 7% more than the year before.
Festive hiring has grown each year since 2024.
This happened while overall white-collar hiring was down 11% in September.
Quick-commerce companies had the fastest growth in seasonal hiring.
Flexible gig and freelance work also increased.
Smaller and emerging cities grew faster than metros.
Many openings were for operations, fulfilment, sales, and customer service.
Most of the jobs were for people with up to six years of experience.
Festive hiring rose 7% year-on-year to 127,080 jobs in 2026, continuing a three-year increase from 98,120 in 2024.
Overall white-collar hiring fell 11% year-on-year in September, even as seasonal hiring expanded.
Quick commerce led sector growth at 18%, followed by white-collar gig and freelance work at 15%, e-commerce at 12%, and logistics and transportation at 10%.
Tier-3 and emerging cities grew fastest at 15%; Tier-2 cities grew 11%, compared with 3% in metros.
Operations and fulfilment represented 23% of festive roles, and workers with up to six years' experience accounted for 70%.
- Who
- Indian employers, with early-career workers prominent among festive hires.
- What
- Festive hiring reached 127,080 jobs, up 7% year-on-year, while overall white-collar hiring declined 11% in September.
- Where
- Across India, including metros, Tier-2 cities, and Tier-3 and emerging cities.
- When
- The 2026 festive period; the report also cited September year-on-year hiring.
- Why
- The report linked the increase to demand in consumption and fulfilment businesses and seasonal spikes in demand.
Festive hiring growth
Overall hiring slowdown
Seasonal hiring versus broader white-collar trends
Festive hiring growth
Festive hiring rose 7% to 127,080 jobs, with growth in sectors including quick commerce, e-commerce, and logistics.
Overall hiring slowdown
Overall white-collar hiring declined 11% year-on-year in September, indicating that festive growth occurred alongside a broader slowdown.
Key facts
- Festive jobs in 2026
- 127,080, up 7% year-on-year
- Festive jobs in 2025 and 2024
- 118,750 in 2025; 98,120 in 2024
- Overall white-collar hiring
- Down 11% year-on-year in September
- Sector growth
- Quick commerce 18%; white-collar gig and freelance hiring 15%; e-commerce 12%; logistics and transportation 10%
- Jobs by city tier
- Metros: 56% of roles, 3% growth; Tier-2: 27%, 11% growth; Tier-3 and emerging cities: 17%, 15% growth
- Largest role categories
- Operations and fulfilment 23%; sales and business development 20%; customer service and experience 14%; supply chain and logistics 12%
- Experience levels
- Workers with up to six years' experience accounted for 70% of jobs: 43% with 0–3 years and 27% with 4–6 years
Quotes
Tarun Sinha
CEO of foundit
“Strong demand for early-career talent also shows that businesses are prioritising agile, digitally ready workforces that can scale with demand. As consumption becomes more distributed, we expect employment opportunities to increasingly follow the same trajectory.”
thehansindia.com
“The festival season is increasingly reflecting a broader shift in India's employment landscape, as hiring expands beyond traditional consumption centres into Tier-II and emerging cities.”
m.rediff.com
Sources
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