Companies often strategically turn to freelancers during times of economic uncertainty when it is not financially possible for them to hire full-time employees. This has likely contributed to the growing number of freelancers and freelance job opportunities during COVID-19. According to recent reports, 36% of the American workforce has been freelancing during the pandemic, an increase of 2 million freelancers since 2019. Annual freelance earnings also increased by 22% this year, topping $1.2 trillion. More than a third (36%) of freelancers are earning a living by freelancing full-time. To help connect freelancers to job opportunities in 2021, FlexJobs has identified the top fifteen categories with the most freelance job listings in the FlexJobs database since the pandemic started, from March 1, 2020 – October 31, 2020.

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“Over the last several months, we’ve seen sustained growth in the number of freelance job postings in the FlexJobs database,” said Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO at FlexJobs. “Freelance workers can help tremendously during times when companies’ operating budgets may be impacted and future revenue seems uncertain. As everyone broadens their views of the workplace, we predict that freelance job opportunities will continue to be available and grow well into 2021,” Sutton concluded.

The career categories below had the most freelance job postings since March 1, 2020 and are considered strong bets for 2021.

1.    Computer & IT
2.    Accounting & Finance
3.    Administrative
4.    Project Management
5.    Customer Service
6.    Healthcare
7.    Writing & Editing
8.    Education & Training
9.    Marketing
10.    HR & Recruiting
11.    Bookkeeping
12.    Therapy
13.    Graphic Design
14.    Data Entry
15.    Mortgage & Real Estate

According to FlexJobs’ annual survey* of more than 1,200 freelancers completed in September 2020, 58% were optimistic about their employment situation in the next six months, 22% were neutral, and only 20% were pessimistic.

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Other interesting findings include:

— Roughly half of freelancers (49%) have been earning the same, nearly the same, or even more of their regular income during the pandemic.
— Only 3% of freelancers say they have been less productive working from home during the pandemic.
— Work-life balance (89%) is overwhelmingly the top reason that freelancers want a job with flexibility, followed by commute stress (50%) and time savings (45%).
— A greater percentage of freelancers (36%) have advanced degrees compared to the overall worker population (29%).
— When asked what they miss most about working in the office, the majority of freelancers (73%) said social interactions with their colleagues. However, 32% of freelancers say they don’t miss anything about working in an office.
— 65% of freelancers say they enjoy working, a higher rate than the general working population (55%).

Below are 15 common freelance side jobs for those considering making the shift to freelancing. The average hourly wage from Payscale is included.

1.    Bookkeeper: $17/hr
2.    Curriculum Writer: $27/hr
3.    Copy Editor: $19/hr
4.    Customer Service Representative: $14/hr
5.    Editor: $20/hr
6.    Executive Assistant: $21/hr
7.    Graphic Designer: $17/hr
8.    Lead Generation Specialist: $14/hr
9.    Online ESL Teacher: $20/hr
10.    Project Manager: $26/hr
11.    Proofreader: $18/hr
12.    Resume Writer: $20/hr
13.    Social Media Manager: $16/hr
14.    Virtual Assistant: $16/hr
15.    Writer: $20/hr

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