Blue-Collar Gig Hiring Soars 92% in 2024

Mumbai, Jun 21 (PTI) There has been a 92 per cent year-on-year uptick in gig job or freelance opportunities last year in the blue collar space, as per a report.

This reflects a rising dependence on flexible, on-demand labour, driven by the rapid expansion of e-commerce, food delivery, and ride-hailing platforms, said a report by blue and grey-collar recruitment platform WorkIndia.

"What we're seeing is the platformisation of ambition. The likes of quick commerce haven't just created demand, they've validated this sector as a reliable source of income. For many candidates, especially in smaller cities, delivery jobs are no longer stopgap roles, they're viable career choices," WorkIndia CEO and Co-Founder Nilesh Dungarwal told PTI.

The WorkIndia report is based on an analysis of 4.81 lakh job postings data on the platform in 2023 and 2024.

In geographical locations, the report found that cities such as Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata emerged as key hubs for last-mile logistics jobs, each registering over 100 per cent growth in delivery-related job postings.

Meanwhile, demand for gig roles remained strong among the job seekers with the overall applications witnessing a growth of 63 per cent, with the highest increase seen among graduates, said the report.