The blue-collar industry has cemented a permanent position in the Indian job market, as much of the population has migrated to the urban areas. Much of the present generation is involved in the food, services and appliance delivery industry such as Zomato, Amazon, Swiggy, Uber Eats, Flipkart and much more. According to sources, 20 lakh other blue-collar jobs have been generated this year. The report goes on to say that about 40% of the professions will be located in southern India alone. Of these, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai are expected to employ the largest number of blue-collared job applicants. Thus, the booming job demand has given rise to a phenomenon known as the “gig economy”.
What is the gig economy?
A gig economy is an economic situation where the market comprises temporary, short-term, contractual and part-time jobs. More than eight lakh jobs would be generated in the delivery sector alone, which is followed by transport drivers (six lakh), delivery jobs, sales jobs and security personnel (approximately 3,50,000). Tier 1 cities generate the highest number of job opportunities with Bengaluru offering 2,35,000 jobs and Delhi contributing to approximately 2,25,000 jobs. These megacities are followed by Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Noida, Gurugram and Kolkata. Migrants are commonly from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.96% of the blue-collar workforce consists of the male population, with sixty-four per cent between 24-38 years of age. Most of them earn between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 as a monthly salary. Blue-collar jobs are commonly seen in the security, delivery, facility, maintenance, school worker and driver industries. More often than not, we see millions of the present generation engaging in food delivery jobs and sales jobs, which are on a contractual basis.
The present scenario in the blue-collar industry
Higher salaries are a plus point in the gig economy situation, where more than 80% of jobs are offering to pay ₹15,000, with high attrition that ranges between 40% and 300%. While the report signifies growth in job demand, it must be substantiated with skilled resources that respond to employment needs. Job seekers still suffer from a want of knowledge and awareness and should be supported in upskilling themselves with assets and credits to perform in new jobs. A physical and digital system should be implemented to resolve a common job seeker’s common issues and align with the employer’s recruitment process.Additionally, brands such as Ola and Zomato have known to award their best employees with free insurance and a felicitation, which greatly boosts their morale. Most of their employees work within the delivery jobs and sales jobs industry and do not receive benefits that most white-collar employees do.
Keeping up with the times
With a source of income in place, blue-collar employees now think about living conditions, residences, savings and building a community among themselves. This feeling of self-respect and worth has greatly contributed to the increase of the blue-collar job industry and taking up employment in general.Aasaan Jobs works with brands like Amazon to recruit for and organize the blue-collar job industry. Increasingly, blue-collar employees are being trained to be eligible for promotions and appraisals, and to look for better job opportunities as and when required.
Some statistics
According to the report stated above, here is an approximate break-up of blue-collared job openings:Delivery staff: Over 8 lakhDrivers: Nearly 6 lakhSecurity: Almost 3.5 lakhFacility: Almost 2.5 lakhBeautician: Nearly 25 thousandMaintenance workers: Over 25 thousandSchool workers: Almost 50 thousand
Additionally, the city-wise statistics of current blue-collared workers are as follows:
Bengaluru: Over 2.3 lakhDelhi: Over 2.2 lakhMumbai: Over 1.3 lakhPune: Over 1.1 lakhChennai: Over 93 thousandNoida: Over 85 thousandHyderabad: Almost 55 thousandGurugram: Just over 50 thousandKolkata: Nearly 24 thousand
Thus, the blue-collar industry has seen a great deal of improvement in the past few years. As the demand increases, more people take up positions of their choice and earn a better living.
