Freelancers are taking an ever expanding role in the financial sector as these temporary workers have taken on assignments in accounting, marketing, payroll or "just about virtually any 'knowledge process' that can be performed remotely," according to a recent New York Times article. Their demand has increased so much so that online marketplaces have developed so that businesses can bid on freelancers.
The demand has been created because traditional corporations have eliminated their in-house services to cut costs but, at the same time, have hired independent contractors or freelancers to complete the work. Meanwhile, workers who have been laid off have been turning to online marketplaces to find freelance positions as replacement work.
Some of the most notable online freelance marketplaces include oDesk (which has raised $29 million in venture capital) Elance and Guru. Demand for freelancers has shown so much growth that, in the first quarter of this year, oDesk freelancers logged 830,000 hours, more than doubling the figure for the same year-ago period, according to The New York Times. - Gerald Magpily
Comments
Yes, the trend is unmistakable. We are seeing the same thing at RentACoder.com where we recently recorded $48 million in payments to freelancers.
Ian Ippolito
www.RentACoder.com