Are Tier 2 & Tier 3 Cities Behind 17% White-Collar Hiring Uptrend In Sept?

Amid the Indian festive season, the white-collar job market in the south Asian nation rose 17 per cent year-on-year (YoY), displaying market resilience and high demand in the present-day job market, as per foundit Insights Tracker.

Notably, tier 2 and tier 3 cities led this surge in hiring with a 21 per cent rise compared to 14 per cent growth in metro cities. The proliferation in hiring marked fast-paced business expansion and democratization of India's economy as a result of surge in rural participation in the white collar market.

Currently, there is a rise in emerging hubs due to high demand led by verticals like warehousing, customer support, and retail.

While festive hiring is credited for a rising overall demand, structural demand witnessed a steady growth in verticals like logistics & transportation, healthcare & pharma and IT, powered by digital transformation, supply chain ramp-ups, and innovation in AI and analytics, as per the report.

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The consumer-front sectors registered the biggest gains with hiring in e-commerce rising 21%, hospitality up 24%, and gig roles surging 28%.

Demand for entry-level professionals (0–3 years of experience) rose to 45% in 2025, up from 42% year-on-year (YoY) earlier, reflecting employer preference for agile and cost-efficient talent amid the seasonal ramp-up.

“The festive rush also accelerated demand in hospitality, travel, and gig-based roles, reflecting a surge in domestic festive tourism. Additionally, there was a visible rise in creative freelancing opportunities across design, content, and marketing, showing how non-traditional and flexible work formats are increasingly shaping the employment landscape in emerging cities,” the report said.  

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Across job functions, sales and marketing roles posted the strongest year-on-year gains at 5%, followed by customer support and operations at 4%. Creative and media hiring rose 4%, supported by marketing campaigns and OTT content activity, while technology and product roles remained stable with 3% growth. Finance and accounting roles increased 2%, aligned with festive demand for loans and credit services.

Among metros cities, hiring in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata grew 14 per cent year-on-year. This growth boost was led by strong demand in IT, BFSI, and media and entertainment sectors, with sustained hiring across tech, finance, and marketing roles.