In India, a 9-11 million strong gig workforce is in the making in the next three years. The gig economy has been one of the most pivotal economic shifts in a long time. 

A majority of the employers surveyed (58%) estimate the gig workforce to grow to 9 – 11 million, or even exceed this number, by 2025, according to Indeed’s latest findings.

“With the emergence of app-based models for roles like delivery and home services, there has been some degree of formalisation in this sector. In the coming years, we foresee this segment to grow exponentially,” said Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales, Indeed India. 

People choose gig jobs for different reasons, such as, 

• It works with their lifestyle
• They can choose when and how much they work.
• Or, it allows them to earn money between jobs. 

In terms of job roles, door delivery is the most prevalent gig role employers are hiring for currently - 22% for food and 26% for other delivery. 

In addition, 16% of the employers surveyed are hiring gig workers for household work, vehicle repairs and maintenance and for cab or cwo-wheeler driving. Whereas, 10% are hiring for cleaning and 7% for personal care service roles.

Challenges for gig job seekers

The study shows that the biggest barriers for gig workers are lack of access to job information (62%), not knowing English (32%) and not knowing the local language (10%) for workers who have shifted outside of their home town for work. 

From an employer point of view, the top 3 challenges faced in hiring for gig job roles are resume and interviewing skills (52%) and poor awareness of required skills and abilities (51%) on the part of jobseekers, and the screening and assessing of jobseekers (37%).