Tier-I cities dominate in blue-collar gig job opportunities: Report

With a rise in gig economy, tier-one cities led in short-term blue-collar employment opportunities, accounting for 67.1 per cent openings from June 2023 to June 2024, a report said on Saturday.

These tier-I cities, which have a large concentration of gig working opportunities, saw 63.11 per cent job applications originating from these urban hubs, a report by tech-enabled blue-collar workforce recruitment platform WorkIndia said.

Tier-II cities saw 26 per cent of such job openings and accounted for 25 per cent of applications, indicating balanced growth potential, the report said.

However, tier-III cities exhibited a lower proportion of job openings (6.7 per cent) compared to 11 per cent applications, hinting at heightened competition amidst an oversupply of gig workers, the report stated.

The WorkIndia report, an annual index representing the state of blue collar workers in the Indian job market and hiring activity, is based on job listings on its platform during June 2023 to June 2024.

It further revealed that Delhi emerged as the prime hub for gig workers, leading with 17.7 per cent of job openings and 22.9 per cent of applications, reflecting robust demand across sectors.

This was followed by Mumbai with 16.57 per cent of job openings and 15.8 per cent of applications, while Bengaluru and Pune showed promise as emerging gig economies, with focused efforts needed to attract more employers and workers.

Back-office roles dominated the gig economy job market, comprising 34.5 per cent of openings, followed by delivery executives (19.3 per cent) and cooks (16.3 per cent).

The rise in online marketing roles (5.27 per cent) signals a growing demand for digital skills in the gig workforce, it said.

Majority of gig workers (60.56 per cent) are aged 18-29 years, while 30-49-year-old workers constitute 20.97 per cent of the workforce, it said.

Sector-wise, back-office roles, delivery services, and culinary positions lead in demand, with digital marketing roles on the rise.

"As the gig economy continues to expand, understanding these trends becomes increasingly crucial for stakeholders aiming to optimise their workforce strategies and capitalise on evolving market dynamics," WorkIndia Co-Founder and CEO Nilesh Dungarwal said.