White-collar gig jobs rise 11% in a year, IT leads the pack, shows study

White-collar gig jobs have seen an 11 per cent growth as of March 2023 compared to a year ago as companies look to fill demand-supply gaps for new and emerging skills, according to foundit (formerly Monster APAC & ME) Insights Tracker (fIT) released on Tuesday.  

As the future of work changes simultaneously with emerging tech, gig workers are taking the center stage when it comes to organizational demand, the report on job trends for March 2023 said. 

While employers are following a cautious and strategic approach amidst current socio-economic uncertainties, several high-priority roles are fulfilled through gig workers. Moreover, huge participation, almost 24% of freelancers from India are reported in global roles, the report pointed out. 

Industries such as IT (22 per cent share), Recruitment & Staffing (18 per cent share) and Education & Edtech (13 per cent share) account for the largest share of demand for gig jobs.  

Top gig roles that have seen considerable engagement as per the Tracker include Recruiter (15 per cent share), Coder/IT Consultant (12 per cent share), Content Creator (9 per cent share), Data Analyst (7 per cent share), and UX Designer (3 per cent share).  

“It is interesting to see the continued growth of the gig economy in the Indian white-collar space, as companies look at easier onboarding processes and higher cost savings. We have certainly seen newer trends emerge over the last few years with constantly evolving workplace preferences and a greater focus on employee well-being,” said Sekhar Garisa, CEO - foundit (previously Monster APAC & ME), a Quess company. 

According to the report, white-collar hiring in India exhibited positive numbers with a 2% rise in job posting activity in March 2023. The Tracker reflected growing demand for talent across key sectors such as Retail, Telecom and Travel & Tourism on an annual basis (March 2023 vs March 2022). 

However, on a month-on-month basis, job posting activity declined by 1 per cent as several sectors slowed down their hiring processes. With rising uncertainties on the back of international developments such as shifts in the US economic policies including H1-B visas and volatile oil prices, job creation rates have stabilized on the whole. Hiring demand in Media & Entertainment and Import/Export saw a dip between 12-13%, while segments like IT, Telecom, and Manufacturing saw a decline between 3-4% (March 2023 vs February 2023). 

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