3.3 million now in India’s flexi-workforce

India has emerged as the fifth largest market for “flexi-staffing” in the world. According to a report by the India Staffing Association (ISA), there are now 3.3 million people employed as contract staff across the country.

These staff are employed formally, with the same statutory health and provident fund benefits as those in the formal sector. But their employers, typically staffing agencies, do have much greater flexibility – the staff are able to work across several different roles at once, for example.

The ISA report predicted the growth in the sector would continue rapidly over the coming years, with a flexi-workforce of 6.1 million expected by 2021.