The future of independent employment is bright

 There is "a very broad spectrum of tasks that classify as freelancing," compared with regular employment, according to Upwork. "Freelance job might range from selling things online a few times a year to delivering groceries a few times a month to working as a full-time programmer or accountant."

The report also showed that 59 million Americans completed freelance work in the last 12 months, representing 36 percent -or more than one-third-of the overall U.S. employment.

The percentage of non-temporary freelancers climbed from 33.8 percent to 35 percent from 2020 to 2021, according to the research.

More highly educated, highly skilled employees are freelancing

One of the intriguing results is that freelancing is expanding among highly educated professionals. Some 51 percent of post-grad professionals undertook freelancing work, up 6 percent since 2020, while the number of high school grads or less freelancing has decreased from 37 percent in 2020 to 31 percent this year, the research stated.

Skilled remote freelancing also continues to expand in 2021. The analysis indicated that 53 percent of all freelancers supplied professional services such as computer programming, marketing, IT, and business consulting in 2021, up from 50 percent in 2020, Upwork stated.

"Freelancing has remained a solid element of the economy and less of a transient alternative for many highly qualified workers,'' said Upwork Chief Economist Adam Ozimek.

In terms of other demographics, new freelancers are typically more full-time, more distant, younger, in hard-hit professions, and more likely to be male, urban, and caretakers.

Not surprisingly, flexibility and independence are significant motivators for new and current freelancers. The research determined that:

68 percent of new freelancer respondents claimed that career ownership is a significant lure, followed by the flexibility to work remotely at 54 percent.

78 percent of competent remote freelancers identified time freedom as an important reason for freelancing, 73 percent citing geographical flexibility and 73 percent said freelancing helps them to pursue work they find meaningful.

Another strong push for freelancing is that 44 percent of freelancer respondents stated they earned more freelancing than with a typical job in 2021-up from 39 percent in 2020 and 32 percent in 2019.

The option to work remotely is another important lure. While 36 percent of the general workforce undertakes freelancing, 47 percent of those working remotely freelance, according to the research. Additionally, 31 percent of freelancer respondents indicated they are working fully remotely.

In terms of earning potential, 44 percent of freelancers indicated they make more money than they would work for a typical company, while 18 percent said they make the same and 38 percent said they make less.

The future of independent employment is bright

Upwork's study also revealed that during the so-called Great Resignation, 56 percent of non-freelancer professionals stated they are contemplating freelancing employment in the future.

Nine in 10 freelancers feel that the "best days are ahead" for freelancing: Two-thirds (66 percent ) stated they are confident about their jobs in 2022, compared with 53 percent non-freelancers, according to the research.

Ozimek also voiced confidence about the future of freelancing, noting that the old assumptions of in-office, 9-to-5 workplaces have been challenged, and many professionals chose for change.

"We have observed increasing interest since the epidemic in this method of working, and I expect that we will continue to see higher levels of freelancing until 2022 and beyond,'' Ozimek said. "Where I believe growth will be more on an occupational basis than an industrial one."

For example, Upwork sees a lot of remote freelancing in the fields of web, mobile and software development across sectors, Ozimek added. "Those abilities are in demand in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and beyond."

A major approach for success in freelancing is to tap into freelance websites, the survey concluded. Before the epidemic, one in four experienced freelancers claimed they generally obtained work via freelancing websites.

Ninety-one percent of respondent freelancers who have used freelance websites before and during the pandemic said they would recommend them because they can find meaningful work, they can find trustworthy clients and they can gain access to tools and resources that help with project management and efficiency, according to the report.