Freelancing Trends in and after COVID_19 | You may have still need to know about future of freelancing

 

 What’s Happening in the Freelance World during COVID_19?

Freelancing is still more popular as an alternative to working during COVID_19 as an employee of a single company. Freelancers often say that they enjoy the flexibility, prefer to be able to choose how much they work, and/or don’t want to be tied down to working at the same place long-term.

Working with freelancers is a popular choice for online businesses as well. The recent recession has forced many companies have been forced to downsize. While they can’t afford to hire full-time employees, they still need workers for regular, periodic, or occasional tasks. By hiring freelancers, companies have access to the skills they need without keeping extra permanent staff on the books.

This trend of reducing the number of full-time employees has left many talented workers without a regular job. Freelancing not only gives them the option to do the work at which they excel but also to work remotely for businesses that are far away from their own locale.

These individuals are in good company, as the freelance market has continued to increase over the past several years.

– In 2005, 10.1 % of the U.S. population worked as freelancers at some point over the year.

– By 2014, that figure had risen to 34% of the workforce or 53 million Americans.

– And in 2017, 36% of the American workforce—or 57.3 million people—did freelance work.

– By 2020, that number is expected to meet, and possibly exceed, 40%.

Current freelancing trends

The successful rise of the freelancing industry is undeniable at the moment. Management consultancy Freelancing Institute report on ‘Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy’ found that a staggering 162 million people in Europe and the US engage in some form of independent work. ‘Opportunity Engine’ Reported that 64% of businesses currently rely on freelancers in some capacity.

The benefits of the rising ‘gig economy’ are also undeniable. It is thought that productivity across workforces could rise, opportunities could increase for the unemployed and companies could enjoy easier access to specialist services.

What is the future of freelancing?

The freelancing industry is a fluid and fast-paced world. In a reflection of the people who choose to be independent workers, it is adaptable, reactive, and versatile. What freelancing trends can we expect to see in the coming years?

For Acceptance

These days, companies are more likely to recognize freelance talent and are therefore more comfortable to work with experienced independents.

Freelancers’ work ethics, market experience, and strategic and modern thinking are all assets that companies want to benefit from. Interestingly, businesses’ core ecosystems are shifting, and they are increasingly likely to be made up of different contributors rather than the traditional 9-5 workforce.

Additionally, companies are having to be more flexible – and frugal – in their approach to new projects. Utilizing freelance talent is therefore perfect, earlier this year: “I can use a global talent pool and access extremely high level or specialized skill sets as and when I need them”.

What Freelancing Skills Are the Most In-Demand?

Freelancing is open to many different skill sets, but some are more in demand than others. Some of the most popular freelancing skills are:

• Social media management: This is a vital skill for all types of businesses across all verticals; while the average hourly rate is $16, talented freelancers can charge $45 per hour or more in this field.
• IT programming and development: IT programming and development is a popular choice for freelancers, and the average hourly salary for programmers and developers is $22.20. In this field, the rate you can charge depends on which programming languages you’ve mastered; a full-stack developer in the US charges an average of $55  per hour, while a web designer in the US charges an average of $25.
• SEO, content writing, and copywriting: The average hourly rate for content writers across the world is $16, which is relatively low compared to an IT programmer. But experienced and talented writers can earn up to $90/hour, and sometimes more.
• Graphic design: Talented graphic designers are needed for everything from product design to website creation. The average hourly pay for a designer is $20, but the range is wide. Graphic designers earn an average of $17 per hour, but top designers who can tap into multimedia and 3D design can command an hourly rate of $45 and above.
• User experience (UX/UI) design: A step beyond graphic design, a UX/UI designer pulls together the entire customer experience on a website or app; the average salary is $42 per hour.
• Business consulting: This involves advising businesses of all sizes on every aspect of improving their business; the average hourly rate of $35 is just the beginning.
• Information security: Analysts in this sector are much needed, given the high risk of cyber-attacks; if you’re freelancing as an IT security analyst, you should be charging well over $40 per hour.
• Virtual assistants: As offices downsize, the demand for remote assistants to deal with standard administrative tasks is rising; virtual assistants charge an average of $11 per hour.
• Accounting: Freelancers and small businesses often turn to other freelancers to handle their tax and accounting needs; freelance accountants can earn a respectable average salary of $19 per hour, with financial analysts and business management accountants charging an average of $21 per hour.
• Photography and video editing: Demand for these jobs has grown by 19%-22% as high-quality images become more important for successful marketing; the average hourly rate for professional photographers begins at $75 per hour, with top photographers earning up to $500 or more per hour.