September Hiring Soars 21% In Tier II & III Cities, Outpacing Metro Growth: Report
India's smaller cities are emerging as powerful engines of job creation, outpacing metro hubs with a strong hiring surge in September. Tier II and III locations recorded a 21% year-on-year jump in hiring, driven by festive demand and the steady rise of these cities as long-term talent hubs, according to the latest Foundit Insights Tracker (fit) released on Monday.
The report highlighted that cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Surat, Nagpur, and Chandigarh led the momentum, benefiting from growth in e-commerce warehousing, retail expansion, customer support centres, and tourism activity during the festive season.
Overall hiring activity across India also remained strong, with the tracker recording 17% year-on-year and 4% month-on-month growth, indicating steady baseline demand beyond seasonal factors.
“September's hiring momentum reflects a powerful combination of festive demand and the structural rise of tier II and III cities as long-term talent hubs. While metro markets continue to deliver steady growth, non-metro regions are leading the charge. This shift highlights a decentralised, diverse, and resilient employment landscape, creating opportunities for job seekers and strategic advantages for employers nationwide," said Anupama Bhimrajka, VP – Marketing at foundit.
The Foundit Insights Tracker (formerly the Monster Employment Index) is a comprehensive monthly analysis of online job postings on the Foundit.in platform.
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The report further noted that the festive season has boosted hiring across consumer-facing sectors, with growth stronger than last year. Hiring in metro cities — including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Kolkata — grew 14% year-on-year, led by demand in IT, BFSI, and Media & Entertainment, particularly for tech, finance, and marketing professionals.
Across functions, Sales & Marketing saw the sharpest festive-driven year-on-year gains at 5%, followed by Customer Support & Operations (4%). Creative & Media roles surged 4% on the back of advertising campaigns and OTT activity, while Technology & Product roles held steady with 3% growth.
Source: News18
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