Gig workers face hard reset after festive spike

After record seasonal hiring during the festival period, gig workers stare at unusually lean period this new year.

- Sowmya Ramasubramanian & Devina Sengupta

By the end of December, short-term contracts of thousands of gig and temporary workers hired by e-commerce, logistics, and consumer goods companies to handle the festive season demand will end. They will find themselves without jobs, struggling to secure their next opportunity.

Hiring agencies predict that from January onward, the market will see an unusually large pool of gig talent available for recruitment. Many may have to accept lower pay or less favourable terms to stay employed.

“Barely 5-10% of the temporary staffing will get absorbed in the same company,” said Neeti Sharma, chief executive officer of staffing and talent solutions firm TeamLease Digital. “The gig workers move across platforms and after the festive season, the remuneration will see a 15-20% drop for them.”