Temporary workforce hiring among summer-facing product marketers, services providers and retailers has increased 20-25% over last year in India amid the ongoing heat wave, which is pushing demand for cooling products, reports The Economic Times, citing research from staffing firms. Balasubramanian A, vice-president at hiring firm Teamlease Services, said, “Summer season-related temp hiring for after-sales service technicians has crossed pre-pandemic levels at close to 25%, while in-store workforce demand has increased 15-20% over the previous year.” Companies making summer-facing products said the demand for temp workforce is set to rise further as the heat spell is forecasted to increase over the second fortnight of May and June.

Typically, temporary workforce hiring escalates during the peak summer April-June quarter when demand peaks for appliances such as air-conditioners and refrigerators. Manu Saigal, director, general staffing, at Adecco India, said that owing to the topical heatwave in India, there is a 20-25% increased demand for skilled labour, including Air Conditioning technicians, electricians and emergency response personnel to manage new installations and optimal functioning of cooling systems, infrastructure, and public health.

Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice president at consumer durables and appliances maker Godrej Appliances, added, ““Whenever demand for cooling products increases, it does lead to higher demand for workforce across the value chain – whether it’s manufacturing, retail, installation or after-sales. We are prepared to ramp up the temp workforce across the value chain.”