Freelancer.com, the world’s biggest online jobs marketplace by users registered and jobs posted, hit another significant milestone this week as the platform’s record 17% year-on-year growth continues.
Because of the pandemic, more and more people are turning to freelancing to offer their skills, or search for other skilled workers to help them set up their own business.
Freelancer.com as a two-sided marketplace is in a unique position because the 52 million registered users means a job poster is almost certain to find a freelancer with the requisite skills.
It is the demand side, the job posters with work which needs completing, which indicates where the best job opportunities lie.
With that in mind the accompanying graphs paint an interesting picture about the most in-demand jobs and skills where freelancers can be assured there are opportunities.
The proportion of jobs in IT and software development and website building has fallen over time, reflecting the growth in WYSIWYG templated website build platforms. The demand for content to populate those websites has grown over time, as has the demand for design, media (Photoshop skills and the like) and architecture.
In website, IT & Software category the number of jobs requiring skills in PHP (an open source, general purpose scripting language for web development) dominates.
Graphic Design is somewhat of a catch-all phrase encompassing everything from creating a set of social media posts to a complete brand ideation.
Where there are websites, there must be content… but not all of it good, so it appears with “article rewriting” a top 5 skill required.
The freelance economy is characterised by a transfer between developed and emerging economies. Developed countries post jobs which are overwhelmingly done in emerging countries. This provides efficiency and cost-saving to businesses in the developed world while providing income that changes lives in emerging economies. The exchange, when 10% of the world lives on less than US$1.90 a day, is a significant factor in the fight against poverty.
Freelancer owns StartCon, Australia’s largest startup conference, expo and entrepreneur community established in 2009, WarriorForum.com, the world’s largest Internet marketing community & marketplace, Escrow.com, the world’s largest provider of secure online escrow and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet, and Freightlancer, a global marketplace for freight, shipping and transportation.
