The rise of the freelancer in the digital age
Photo by Ali Yahya on Unsplash
Freelance work has long been a popular way to make money without having to have an employer looming over you. While freelancing has been around for quite a while, though, it has never been as popular as it is today. In fact, around 36% of the American workforce is working on a freelance basis, nowadays. But why exactly has this sort of work become so popular? Let’s take a look at the worldwide changes that have resulted in the rise of the freelancer.
Of course, it would be impossible to ignore the impact COVID-19 has had on the number of freelance workers found in the world. A lot of people have lost their regular jobs, forcing them to find something new in the midst of a pandemic that is stopping them from going outside. In this sort of situation, freelancing can be very appealing, but this isn’t the only reason that this type of work has been increasing.
Alongside COVID-19, a lot of businesses have been turning their sights to freelance work over the last few years. It costs a fortune to hire someone directly, with things like sick pay, HR teams, and pensions all coming with a hefty price tag. Hiring freelancers doesn’t come with any of this pressure, giving employers the power to grow and shrink their teams whenever they want, while also being able to pay their employees less for their work.
Businesses alone aren’t enough to spark change like this. The internet has been one of the biggest driving factors of freelance work over the last few years, making it possible for people to work with businesses around the world without having to travel from their living room. The internet is by far one of the most crucial elements that have contributed to the rise of freelancing, with collaborative software and file-sharing being crucial to operations that rely on freelance team members.
People have never had more places to look when they are searching for a job, with the internet opening the doors to loads of recruitment websites. Options like Snupit can help both freelancers and businesses to connect with one another, giving those who want to work for themselves the chance to advertise and get their name out without having to make their own websites or do cold selling. This has made it much easier for those who want to work on a freelance basis to find the work they like.
With all of this in mind, you should have a much better understanding of why freelance work has grown so much over the last few years. This field is only set to continue expanding, with more and more people turning their attention to this type of work, and businesses working as hard as possible to keep their teams freelance.
