68% of Remote Workers Interested in Freelance Gigs, Too

How and where people work is changing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And a new study from Fiverr reveals the ability to work remotely is opening new opportunities. According to the report, 68% of U.S. remote workers are interested in freelance gigs. One of the reasons is, working from is giving remote workers more free time.

If you eliminate work commute, you can have many hours available to you which in the past was lost to traffic. Ten, 20, or more hours of commute per week is not uncommon for many workers across the country. Now, imagine using those hours to freelance from home. And many remote workers are now registering as freelancers by taking advantage of this time.

68% of Remote Workers Interested in Freelance Gigs

This is what Hila Klein, COO at Fiverr, says in the emailed release. “At Fiverr, we’ve seen new U.S. freelance registrations rise 48% year-over-year [Q3 of 2020], more than doubling the growth rate during the same time period last year.”

Klein goes on to say, COVID accelerated the shift towards freelancing. However, Fiverr expects the trend to increase after the pandemic.

Survey Insights

Working from home is showing remote workers the realization freelancing is a legitimate career option for them. This as 35% say they have more time on their hands and they are interested in trying something new (39%). And this has pushed 51% to contemplate freelancing.

Considering 97% of the respondents in the survey have been working from home for the past eight months, there is a huge growth potential in freelancing after the pandemic. The fact they are now accustomed to working from home is also a big part.

Forty-one percent say they are very satisfied with their work from home arrangement compared to 29% when they started. But it does have its disadvantages. Too many distractions (31%), setting clear boundaries between work life and home life (27%) and isolation (24%) are issues.

Furthermore, there are health factors to consider. Respondents report a reduction in physical activity (38%), more screen time resulting in eye strains/headaches (40%) and working more overtime (64%) are problems.

Moving Forward

In the study, 48% of the respondents say this year has increased the chances of them looking for a new job. More than half or 52% of men say they are likely to look for a new job, while 46% of women will be doing the same.

They are also looking to try something new (24%), start their own business (20%), and get experience in a new industry (21%).

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, "68% of Remote Workers Interested in Freelance Gigs, Too" was first published on Small Business Trends