India’s white-collar job market gained momentum in September 2025, recording a 17% year-on-year (YoY) increase and a 4% month-on-month (MoM) rise, according to the foundit Insights Tracker (fit). Riding on the festive season, industries across retail, e-commerce, BFSI, and travel registered sharp spikes in demand, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 hubs emerged as the backbone of seasonal hiring.
With festive hiring cycles now extending beyond metros, companies are scaling warehousing, customer support, and creative operations in smaller cities, making the 2025 season one of the most broad-based in recent years.
Overall Hiring Trends – September 2025
September’s festive wave reflected broad-based industry momentum:
- Logistics & Transportation (+42% YoY), Retail (+42%), and Consumer Electronics (+43%) led hiring, fuelled by festive sales, discounts, and warehousing needs.
- Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals (+38% YoY) and Manufacturing (+38%) continued their strong growth trajectories.
- Non-profit organisations (+57% YoY) and Real Estate (+29%) also stood out, highlighting sectoral diversity.
- Sluggish spots included Travel & Tourism (-5% YoY) and Hospitality roles (-3% YoY), reflecting uneven recovery despite the festive buzz.
Festive Season Hiring – Sector Highlights
- E-commerce & Retail: Hiring jumped 21% (festive YoY) on the back of festive sales, flash discounts, and last-mile delivery hiring.
- BFSI: Grew 10%, supported by credit growth, festive loans, and seasonal insurance demand.
- Hospitality & Travel: Up 24%, led by domestic tourism and business events.
- Manufacturing: Expanded 12%, driven by automotive demand and consumer durables production.
- Media & Entertainment: Rose 17%, reflecting OTT releases and festive ad campaigns.
- Gig/Freelance (White Collar): Surged 28%, underscoring demand for flex talent in marketing, design, and IT support.
Functional Trends – Sales, Marketing & Support at the Core
- Sales & Marketing roles (+5% YoY) saw the sharpest festive push, powered by advertising and retail demand.
- Customer Support & Operations (+4%) expanded to handle e-commerce and travel volumes.
- Technology & Product (+3%) remained steady as firms rolled out digital-first festive platforms.
- Creative & Media (+4%) gained momentum through campaigns and influencer-led activity.
- Finance & Accounting (+2%) aligned with festive loan and credit cycles.
Location Trends – Tier-2 & Tier-3 Outpace Metros
- Metro cities grew 14% YoY, anchored by IT, BFSI, and media-driven hiring in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
- Tier-2 & Tier-3 hubs surged 21% YoY, powered by warehousing, retail expansion, and customer support hubs.
- Cities like Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, and Surat reported strong momentum, reflecting India’s decentralising festive economy.
- Ahmedabad (+20% YoY) and Coimbatore (+14%) were standout performers among Tier-2 locations.
Experience-Level Trends – Freshers Lead Festive Hiring
- Entry-level professionals (0–3 years) made up the largest hiring cohort (+17% YoY), with Tier-2 cities absorbing the majority in e-commerce, customer service, and gig work.
- Mid-level talent (7–10 years) grew 27% YoY, stabilising project execution during peak season.
- Senior management (+45% YoY) also spiked, with leadership roles increasingly shifting to Tier-2 cities for cost-effective festive scaling.
About the foundit Insights Tracker
The foundit Insights Tracker (fit), previously known as the Monster Employment Index, is foundit’s monthly deep-dive into hiring trends across India. Drawing from millions of job postings, fit delivers comprehensive insights into sectoral demand, functional growth, city-wise shifts, and salary benchmarks, providing a clear view of India’s dynamic job market.
