Order books, movies and now ... workers online

Elance, one of several growing platforms for online work, has released figures from its 2011 Online Employment Review. The big takeaway is that in 2011, businesses hiring online shot up 120 percent and the market for contingent online work is expected to grow at record pace and double again next year. “This year’s job numbers suggest a structural change in traditional employment, as more businesses are adopting online and contingent work as a core business strategy,” said Elance CEO Fabio Rosati. 

Rosati points to technology and independence as the main drivers: “Fueled by technology, work is no longer confined to the 9-5 and the office. Knowledge workers are building independent careers by working online with multiple clients, from their home, from public spaces or from co-located offices. 

The ability to gain instant access to qualified talent with in-demand skills regardless of location is a global trend that is starting to change the way businesses and people work.” Key findings include: 

• 83 percent of small businesses surveyed by Elance plan to hire up to 50 percent of their workers as online contractors online in the next 12 months 

• Nearly 1 in 3 workers began freelancing to be their own boss and work on the type of projects they love 

• The top benefits of online work cited include the ability to control their own schedule (90 percent), follow their passion (87 percent) and eliminate the commute (85 percent) The hottest skills in demand according to an analysis of the more than 650,000 jobs posted on Elance this year include: 

• Software development skills such as HTML5 (+238 percent), Mobile (+137 percent), WordPress (+100 percent), Facebook (+66 percent) and Twitter (+47 percent) • Creative skills like Graphic Design (+176 percent) and Content Writing (+72 percent) 

• Marketing skills such as Internet Marketing (+132 percent), Marketing Communications (+53 percent) and Telemarketing (52 percent) 

• Administrative skills, including Transcription (+114 percent), Administrative Support (+87 percent) and Data Entry (+69 percent)

• Consulting skills ranging from Product Manufacturing (+186 percent), Architectural Design (+185 percent), Financial Analysis (+140 percent) and Legal (+86 percent) to Business Strategy (+76 percent) Check out the study for more details and to see Elance's best and worst moments in work in 2011 along with 2012 predictions. 

Online Work Online work across all platforms passed $1 billion in 2011, and job creation accelerated with 650,000 new jobs posted on Elance alone. 

The number of businesses hiring on Elance and the number of online professionals working on Elance grew more than 120%. 

Earnings for Elancers rose in more than 100 countries around the world. Source: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/emergingtech/5-trends-driving-the-future-of-work/3058