Freelance Jobs

Prior to the great industrial revolution, in America, 80% of workers were self-employed and only 20% were actual ‘workers’ for a boss or company. This self employed number includes people who owned commercial farms, family businesses and shopkeepers. When the Industrial Revolution came, these numbers quickly reversed. For most of the last century in America 80% of people were workers while only 20% were self-employed.

Shockingly, those numbers are now changing again. Because of the Great Recession, (what many people are now calling this economic state that we’re currently in,) employers are laying off more people than ever and these people are finding new opportunities for freelancing. Even before the Great Recession, a government statistic showed over one third of Americans were ‘contingently employed’ (That’s the government fancy word for freelancing.) that number is currently growing more every day as shown by famous job freelancing site Elance. Their job postings for freelancers increased 52% in a single year.

Online technology is making freelancing work a reality for more people than ever before. It no longer matters where you live; even if you live an area with no opportunity and no jobs, you can be a freelancer online. All you need is a computer, a skill and a good Internet connection. No longer do people have to move to get the job they really want. In today’s economy, not having to move is a very big deal. After all not only is moving is expensive, there’s no guarantee that your job will keep you after you get there.

For people who embrace the freelance employment world, they feel is no other way to make a decent living. They’re quick to point out all the pros of freelancing. They get to work the hours they want, when they are the most productive, even if it’s in the middle of the night. They have time and flexibility never available at a traditional job. They also get to pick the clients to work with and the projects they work on.

Even though people with traditional jobs view freelance work as unstable, freelancers say that the traditional work model is unstable because your entire livelihood could be compromised if only one person ( your boss,) decides he just doesn’t like you anymore. With freelancing however, as long as you do a good job and are always professional, it doesn’t matter if one person doesn’t like what you’re offering. There’s always another person who will like it.

The real problem with freelancing is that they do not get the benefits that traditional jobs offer. Benefits that most traditional workers take for granted, like 401(k), workers compensation, unemployment benefits and even healthcare are all denied to the freelancer leaving them to find viable alternatives for themselves. Some organizations like the Freelancers Union try to help freelancers get these necessities at reasonable cost.

So which is better way to make money? That’s hard to say. For some, freelancing gives them the lifestyle they’ve always dreamed off while others are terrified of the very idea. Either way, freelancing is here to stay and as technology gets more advanced, freelancing will only become more common. The real problem is trying to get the world to understand and accept this concept instead of trying to hold onto the idea of a traditional work model that is no longer relevant in today’s modern world.