Logistics, e-commerce, hospitality drive festive hiring: 2.16 lakh postings

2.16 lakh job postings this festive season, a 20% increase compared to 1.8 lakh job postings vs last year. As expected, this year’s festive season saw a significant rise in hiring across key sectors like logistics, e-commerce, retail, and hospitality, as per jobs and professional networking platform apna.co.

This year’s festive season was particularly important for businesses looking to rebound after a slowdown in consumer spending during the summer and election periods. Companies were focused on driving sales beyond last year’s numbers. Additionally, the rapid expansion of the quick commerce industry contributed to this hiring momentum. Among the sectors, logistics and operations experienced the highest growth, with a 70% increase in job postings. Retail and e-commerce followed with a 30% rise, while the restaurant and hospitality sector grew by 25%.

To meet rising demand, logistics and mobility leaders like Rapido, Delhivery, Ekart, and Shiprocket have posted over 30,000 openings for roles such as Warehouse Managers, Logistics Associates, Inventory Managers, and Delivery Drivers. The retail and e-commerce sector is also expanding, adding 18,000 roles, including Category Growth Managers, Sales Associates, and Customer Support Managers to enhance consumer experience. In hospitality, 14,000 jobs have opened for positions like Restaurant Managers, Front Office Staff, and Administrative Personnel. QSR giants such as Jubilant Foodworks and food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato are also ramping up hiring to keep pace with demand.

This hiring trend is not limited to major metro cities; tier-2 and tier-3 cities are also experiencing a significant rise in job opportunities. While tier-1 cities like Bangalore, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad have seen a 20% increase in job postings, the demand in tier-2 and tier-3 cities is even more notable. Factors such as increasing urbanization, the expansion of malls and quick-service restaurants, and improved consumer spending are driving this growth. Cities like Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Indore, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Patna, Coimbatore, and Jaipur have recorded a 25% increase in job postings.