Business Use of Freelancers Accelerates Amidst the Pandemic, Finds Upwork Report
Upwork (NASDAQ: UPWK) has released its "Future Workforce Pulse Report," indicating a significant shift towards remote freelancing due to the pandemic. Key findings from over 1,000 U.S. hiring managers include:
- 27.7% of Americans expected to work fully remote within five years.
- 67% of businesses observed substantial changes in management practices.
- 53% reported increased willingness to hire freelancers.
- 71% of hiring managers plan to maintain or increase freelancer usage in the next six months.
- 80% noted a rise in demand for tech freelancers since COVID.
- 27.7% of Americans expected to be fully remote in the next five years.
- 67% of businesses reported more changes to long-term management practices.
- 53% of businesses showed increased willingness to hire freelancers post-pandemic.
- 71% of hiring managers plan to sustain or increase freelancer usage in the next six months.
- 80% of hiring managers reported increased use of tech freelancers since COVID.
- None.
Remote work has led to more change in the workforce, and as a result,
The change to fully remote workforces has led to changes across organizations, far beyond where their workforce is located. In fact,
“Remote work has become, what economists call, a general purpose technology,” says Upwork Chief Economist
Key findings reveal:
-
Remote Work Projections are Strong:
27.7% , or 40.7 million Americans, will be fully remote in the next five years, which is up from22.9% in our last survey conducted inNovember 2020 . -
Remote Has Changed Management Practices:
67% of businesses reported that there were more changes to long-term management practices than a normal year, excluding temporary changes caused by the pandemic. Of those,26% of businesses reported that there were many more changes and another41% said that there were somewhat more changes than normal. -
COVID Accelerated Remote Freelancer Adoption: As a result of the pandemic, over half,
53% , of businesses say that remote work has increased their willingness to use freelancers. -
Businesses Plan to Continue Engaging Remote Freelancers:
71% of hiring managers plan to sustain or increase their use of freelancers in the next 6 months. -
Strong Demand for Skilled Tech Freelancers: The largest increase in freelancer usage has been in the Web, Mobile, and Software Development category, with
80% of hiring managers stating they have increased their use of freelancers in the category since the onset of COVID. - Tech Freelance Talent will Remain in Demand: Similarly, this demand for freelancers in the tech category will continue, as nearly two thirds of hiring managers plan to increase their use of freelancers in the tech category in the next 12 months.
To read the full report, please www.upwork.com/research/future-workforce-report.
About Upwork’s Future Workforce Report
The report was conducted by independent research firm ClearlyRated. This is the sixth year the survey has been conducted. This report uses survey data to understand hiring trends and sentiments among hiring managers. More than 1,000
About Upwork
Upwork is the world’s work marketplace that connects businesses with independent talent. We serve everyone from one-person startups to
About ClearlyRated
ClearlyRated is a global leader in human capital management research. The firm powers satisfaction and thought leadership studies for hundreds of top firms within the space and leverages more than 300,000 survey responses annually to provide insight into the millions who work in the gig economy and the companies who hire them. For more information, visit https://www.clearlyrated.com/.
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