Twenty-one lakh new blue-collar jobs are expected to be created in the next 12 months in India according to a report on blue collar jobs data in India launched by BetterPlace. The report states that 40% of these jobs will be created in the 5 states of South India. This report is based on a sample set of around 11 lakh profiles of individuals working with around 1000+ employers collected over the last 12 months.

Of the 21 lakh jobs that are expected to be created, 14 lakh jobs are forecasted in the gig economy. Gig economy refers to a market characterized by temporary and short-term jobs, mostly contractual. And in terms of sectors, the report predicts that more than 8 lakh jobs will open up in delivery, followed by on demand and other transport linked drivers (around 6 lakhs) and security guards (3,50,000 approx).

While tier 1 cities create the largest job opportunities, the report states that Bangalore is the largest job creator with close to 2,35,000 jobs, followed by Delhi at 2,25,000 jobs approx. Hyderabad and Chennai fast emerging as jobs centres with 54,052 and 93,222 blue collar jobs respectively. In terms of states, Maharashtra will lead the job creation, followed by Karnataka.

In the blue-collar jobs, 64% of the workforce comes from the age group of 24-38 years and 96% of this workforce is male.

While the report sees a shift towards higher salary in Gig economy, it says that higher minimum wages are a must to meet the growing jobs demand. Currently, over 80% of the jobs pay more than Rs 15,000. And most verticals see high attrition ranging anywhere from 40% to 300%.

BetterPlace, which is a tech platform that helps manage the end-to-end lifecycle of blue-collar workforce, says that while the data indicates a clear growth in demand of jobs, supply

needs to be aligned with that and a constant pool of skilled resources driven by employers’ needs is a must. There is still a lack of awareness amongst job seekers, which needs to be resolved with frictionless ecosystem. And there should be initial support beyond skilling, like credit and assets to take up new jobs.