Adecco sees up to 2.7 lakh festive gig and temporary jobs in 2026

E-commerce, logistics, quick commerce and organised retail are expected to drive 15–20% hiring growth. Tier II and III cities could account for 45% of demand as metro employers contend with frontline talent shortages and higher temporary wages.

— Source published Mon, 17 Aug, 2026, 17:34 IST · First seen Mon, 17 Aug, 2026, 17:42 IST · Source ET Retail

What happened

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

Key facts

  • 2.5-2.7 lakh temporary and gig jobs expected in 2026 festive season
  • 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
  • Report based on inputs from over 100 Adecco clients

Why this matters

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

  • Temporary wage rates, joining bonuses and absenteeism levels in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other major consumption hubs.
  • 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.
  • 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.