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Gig talent pool shrinks 5-10% as fuel costs reshape hiring
The Economic Times··30 Aug
Rising fuel costs are making India's gig workers more selective about jobs, recruitment experts said. Deepesh Gupta of Adecco India said delivery gig talent has contracted by 5-10 percent over the past four months. Petrol prices rose around ₹7.5 a litre since February. EV job postings surged 593 percent year-on-year in Q1 FY27, Apna.co data showed.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Delivery partners who bear their own fuel costs may shift to warehouse or fixed-pay roles offering more predictable earnings.
- Union minister Nitin Gadkari told parliament ethanol blending in petrol can reduce fuel efficiency by 2-6 percent depending on the vehicle.
- Employers including Flipkart, Eternal, Swiggy and Uber India face higher costs to keep delivery workers on the road.
What's Happening
- Apna.co data showed delivery, driver and logistics job postings rose 60 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of FY27.
- Warehouse jobs grew 91 percent and fixed-pay opportunities expanded 205 percent in the same period.
- EV postings received 62.5 percent more candidates per opening than the overall delivery segment, Apna data showed.
What Apna.co Data Shows About Job Interest
- Gupta said workers are moving into manufacturing, warehousing, retail and sales rather than becoming unemployed.
- Kartik Narayan of Apna.co said the distinction between headline earning potential and guaranteed income is increasingly important.
- The Iran-US conflict beginning in February is cited as a factor in rising petrol prices affecting gig workers.
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