Small towns power India’s festive hiring surge

India’s festive hiring boom is no longer a metro story. While Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai still account for 75-80 per cent of total deployments in absolute terms, the real growth momentum has shifted to Tier-II and III cities.

According to staffing firm, Adecco India, demand in emerging markets rose 21-25 per cent year-on-year, sharply outpacing the 14 per cent growth seen in metros. Cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, Mysuru, Kanpur, Kochi, Vijayawada and Varanasi have emerged as key short-term employment hubs.

Retail and e-commerce led the surge with hiring up 28 per cent over last year, driven by omni-channel expansion, quick commerce and marketplace operations. Logistics and last-mile delivery recorded the steepest rise at 35-40 per cent, while BFSI saw 30 per cent growth for field sales, credit card and POS roles focused in smaller towns. Hospitality and travel rebounded 25 per cent on festive travel and early wedding bookings.

Overall festive hiring is up 17 per cent this season, with gig and temporary roles surging 25 per cent. Compensation has improved 12-15 per cent in metros and 18-22 per cent in emerging cities. Overall staffing volumes are expected to grow 18-20 per cent YoY, with Tier-II and III cities contributing nearly half of the incremental demand, indicating a structural shift toward a more decentralised and resilient workforce.