68% of Remote Workers are Interested in Taking on Freelance Work Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Rhea-AI Summary

Fiverr's latest survey reveals a significant shift in the U.S. workforce's attitude towards remote work and freelancing amid the pandemic. Conducted with Censuswide, the survey of 1,035 remote workers indicates a 48% year-over-year increase in new U.S. freelance registrations. Notably, 68% of respondents are more open to freelance work since the pandemic, driven by job security concerns and lifestyle changes. Moreover, 41% express high satisfaction with their work-from-home setup, contrasting with earlier dissatisfaction levels. However, challenges like distractions and job insecurity persist.

Positive

• 48% increase in U.S. freelance registrations year-over-year.
• 68% of workers are more open to freelancing due to pandemic changes.
• 41% of surveyed workers report higher satisfaction with remote work.

Negative

• 26% of participants are concerned about job security, leading to interest in freelancing.
• 38% report reduced physical activity due to working from home.

Fiverr, the company that is changing how the world works together, today announced the results of a survey, conducted in partnership with Censuswide, analyzing U.S. workers who are working remotely or who did so this year* and their current sentiment towards remote work and their jobs in 2021. The data set, which looks at 1,035 of these workers, revealed that the current work from home environment is leading to an increase in people’s desire to freelance.

A new study from Fiverr shows that people more satisfied working from home now versus when the pandemic first began. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We already know that the pandemic has increased the motivation for companies to work with freelancers, additionally, we are seeing that working from home has also encouraged more full-time workers to give freelancing a shot,” said Hila Klein, COO at Fiverr. “At Fiverr, we’ve seen new U.S. freelance registrations rise 48% year-over-year [Q3 of 2020], more than doubling the growth rate during the same time period last year. And not only are their numbers growing, but freelancers on Fiverr are also making more money in 2020, compared with previous years. The opportunities are endless and while COVID has definitely accelerated this shift towards freelancing, we expect it to keep trending upward post COVID.”

Working from home has allowed freelancing and side hustles to take off.

With a lack of commuting and more time spent at home, people are taking the added time they now have and using it as an opportunity to add new revenue streams to their income. In fact, 68% of workers surveyed said that they are more open** to taking on freelance work and/or a side hustle since the outbreak of the pandemic and more than half (55%) of these respondents agreed*** that working from home has made them realize that freelancing could be a legitimate career option for them. Of those that are more open** to taking on freelance work or a side hustle, many are simply interested in trying something new (39%), while others reported that having more time on their hands (35%), and the flexibility of working from home (51%) has drawn them to consider freelancing.

That said, unfortunately many workers surveyed are also more open** to freelancing because their work has been affected by the pandemic - over a quarter reported being more open because they are currently concerned for their job security (26%) or because they had their full time pay decreased, so want another revenue stream (23%).

People are more satisfied working from home now versus earlier this year.

The majority (97%) of workers surveyed in this study claim to have been working from home only for the last 8 months, with just 3% working home for more than 8 months. Studies have shown that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and now that working from home is a habit for many, satisfaction has greatly increased. 41% of respondents reported being very satisfied with their work-from-home arrangement now as compared to 29% when they first started working from home. These satisfaction levels could be down to personal investment into set-ups. Over two thirds (68%) of employees surveyed have personally invested into their work from home set-up. Further, employees surveyed have invested an average of $237 into their work from home set-up in 2020.

While working from home has proven to have its advantages, it also comes with its disadvantages. The top three biggest challenges faced working from home are too many distractions (31%), setting clear boundaries between work life and home life (27%) and feeling isolated (24%).

Working from home has also led to the deterioration of physical health -- respondents reported a reduction in their physical activity (38%), more screen time resulting in eye strains/headaches (40%) and working more overtime (64%).

2020 has forced people to reconsider their current careers.

Almost half (48%) of workers surveyed said*** that 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the likelihood of them looking for a new job. What they would most want to change about their jobs in 2021 includes getting experience in a new industry (21%), wanting to try something completely new (24%), and wanting to start their own business (20%). Furthermore, men seem to be more interested in looking for new jobs than women, with 52% of men saying they are likely to look for a new job as compared to 46% of women.

Interestingly, while many workers are looking for new jobs because of the pandemic, it might not be because they feel insecure about their current one. 42% of respondents reported that they feel just as secure in their jobs now as they did at the beginning of the year. However, there are still quite a few that are concerned, as almost one in five (18%) reported feeling more insecure about their jobs now****.

About Fiverr

Fiverr’s mission is to change how the world works together. For over 10 years, the Fiverr platform has been at the forefront of the future of work connecting businesses of all sizes with skilled freelancers offering digital services in more than 400 categories, across 8 verticals including graphic design, digital marketing, programming, video and animation. In the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, over 3 million customers bought a wide range of services from freelancers across more than 160 countries. We invite you to become part of the future of work by visiting us at fiverr.com, read our blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

* Censuswide surveyed 1,035 workers that are working remotely or who did so this year, including 51 freelancers in the US between 16.11.20 - 27.11.20.

** combined much more open and somewhat more open

***combined somewhat agree and strongly agree

**** combined somewhat more insecure and much more insecure

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201216005256/en/

FAQ

What percentage increase in freelance registrations did Fiverr report for Q3 2020?

Fiverr reported a 48% year-over-year increase in U.S. freelance registrations for Q3 2020.

How has the pandemic affected job security perceptions among remote workers?

26% of surveyed remote workers reported concerns about job security due to the pandemic.

What percentage of workers feel more satisfied with working from home now?

41% of surveyed workers reported being very satisfied with their work-from-home arrangements now.

What are the primary reasons workers are more open to freelancing since the pandemic?

Workers indicated job security concerns (26%) and the need for additional income (23%) as primary reasons for being more open to freelancing.

What challenges do workers face while working from home according to Fiverr's survey?

Workers identified distractions (31%), setting boundaries (27%), and feeling isolated (24%) as significant challenges.