Staffing firms operating in India are reporting up to 250% increase in demand for temp staff, marking what experts say is a record high for off-season hiring mandates, reports The Economic Times. Lohit Bhatia, president, workforce management, Quess Corp, said, "Hiring mandates have increased 200%-250% of the normal monthly averages as Covid caution has dramatically reduced on the back of much lower daily cases, high vaccination rates, etc.” The firm traditionally used to see 3,000-4,000 temp staffers placed per month during this time of the year, but now it is more than 10,000 monthly, he said. TeamLease cofounder Rituparna Chakraborty said organisations, which were managing with a much leaner workforce, are hiring again. "Openings are coming in, which we typically don't get at this time of the year," Chakraborty said.

Staffing firms including Quess, Randstad, Manpower, Ciel HR, Adecco and TeamLease Services, say sectors such as manufacturing, retail, fast-moving consumer goods and durables, ecommerce, logistics, education tech, fintech, BFSI and telecom industries are all hiring. Manpower and Ciel HR have seen mandates doubling compared to the corresponding quarter last year while at Randstad, there is a 30-35% increase. August-December, when several festivals take place, is traditionally the seasonal period for these firms, while the first two quarters of the calendar year are comparatively much slower. This year, however, is an exception, as, amidst a gradual return to normalcy, businesses everywhere look for a way to rebound from a turbulent 24-month stretch. For more on the Indian staffing market, SIA recently published its report ‘Overview of the Indian Staffing Market’ in March 2022.