Gig Economy Growth

For the first time in six years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published data on flexible workers and the gig economy. A supplement to the Census's monthly survey in July 2023 focused on "Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangements", and the first look at the results came out today. A whopping 10.2% of employed people are now in what the BLS calls "alternative work arrangements" for their sole or main job. These include 7.4% who are independent contractors, 1.7% who are on-call workers, 0.6% who work for temp agencies, and 0.5% who do contracted labor. In total, these are 16.5 million workers! Another 2.4 million were in these arrangements as their second jobs, making up more than a quarter of multiple jobholders. Together, these groups make up almost 12% of employed people. My guess is that the actual number is higher, as Pew Research Center has estimated in the past. Among the industries with the highest shares of workers in alternative work arrangements were real estate and rental/leasing (26%), management/administrative and waste services (23%), construction (22%), arts/entertainment and recreation (17%), transportation and warehousing (15%), and agriculture (15%). I this this is mostly manual labor, pretty different from the "temporary help services" category that is so closely followed by economists. That category has a lot of desk jobs as well. Of the four categories of "alternative work arrangements" listed above, only the on-call workers had weekly earnings similar to their peers in traditional work. On-call workers were also the most likely to have health insurance, at 78% versus 85% for traditional work. But for temporary help agency workers, this number was just 61%, of whom about 1 in 4 received it from an employer. The BLS will be releasing more data in the weeks to come. For now you can find the summary and tables via the link in the comments. I was one of the commenters on the original version of the survey, and I'm eager to see how much they took on board! #labormarket #flexiblework #business

Let's get real for a moment. You know those months where your inbox is eerily quiet? When you start wondering if your last client was actually your last client? Yep, as someone who used to be a lone freelancer, I've been there. More times than I'd like to admit. Freelancing can sometimes feel like you're on the world's most unpredictable rollercoaster. But over the years, I've crafted a strategy to not just survive, but thrive during those 'no income' months. Grab a cup of coffee (or tea, if that's your jam), and let's dive in. 🌺The Rainy Day Fund: First things first, always have a safety net. You know those days of abundance right? Instead of spending the money on things you only want (not need) , set it aside. I set aside a portion of my income during the good months. It's not just about paying bills; it's about peace of mind. 🌺Upskill Time: No clients? No problem. I use this time to learn something new. Whether it's a course on a new design tool or brushing up on marketing trends, I come out more marketable than before. In fact, my first portfolio as a freelancer (which gave me my first $1,500 here on Linkedin) was borne out of one of these dry spell days. 🌺Network, Network, Network: Remember that coffee date you kept postponing or that webinar you bookmarked? Now's the time. Opportunities often come from the most unexpected chats. Human beings can't function well alone. You need other people. Which makes me wonder if the phrase “Self-made” is actually correct. 🌺Re-Evaluate and Pivot: I take a step back and assess. Is there a service that's not getting traction? Maybe it's time to pivot or repackage. Use this period to get expert feedbacks and improve on something. Innovation is the only way to stay ahead in the world of today. 🌺Self-Care Isn't Selfish: It's easy to spiral into anxiety. But I've found that a walk in the park, spa dates, a good book, a weekend getaway or even a Netflix binge can recharge you and take your mind off things for when the next client comes knocking. 🌺Reconnect with Past Clients: A simple 'Hey, how's it going?' can lead to repeat business. It's not about being pushy; it's about staying top of mind. 🌺Golden Nugget Alert 🚨: The Portfolio Revamp: This is my secret weapon. I take this downtime to polish my portfolio, update with recent work, and sometimes even do mock projects. It keeps my creative juices flowing and often attracts new clients who see my updated work. Portfolios are extremely important and if you don't have one, you're missing out. A well-crafted portfolio can be the difference between a 'maybe later' and a 'let's work together now!' If you're wondering how-to get started, you can find a curated list of optimized portfolios through the link In my bio or comment section. In wrapping up, remember this: Dry spells don't define your worth or talent. They're just a part of the freelancing or even entrepreneurship journey. So, tell me, how do you handle the quiet months?

AI isn’t just transforming how work gets done, but how people grow throughout their careers (https://deloi.tt/44qMFZb).     As foundational tasks become increasingly automated, young professionals are missing out on hands-on experiences that traditionally built confidence and developed proficiency. Meanwhile, tenured professionals are being asked to embrace new technologies that feel unintuitive.     This isn’t just a two-way learning curve, but a huge human capital opportunity.     Evolving our development strategies to meet people where they are means moving beyond traditional mentorship into something more dynamic. More reciprocal. More relevant to today’s rapidly evolving workforce.     Two-way mentorship brings together the AI fluency of early-career professionals and the leadership experience of those with more tenure. As emerging professionals help their senior colleagues build AI literacy, their counterparts can provide general guidance on topics like communication and navigating ambiguity.     This drives more than just individual progress – it creates org-wide workforce transformation. 

The big economic headline this month isn't about AI replacing people; it's about the human skills needed to realize AI’s full potential. With the government shutdown sidelining the BLS employment report for September, Upwork's data on the $1.5 trillion freelance economy is the real-time signal we need. And here’s the spark: Businesses are hiring for the human brilliance that's critical to eliminating "AI workslop" – the costly side effect of unreliable AI outputs. In September, demand for Translation & Localization grew 29% on Upwork’s marketplace, and Quality Assurance (QA) Testing grew 9%. These jumps show that modern, future-focused businesses are making a strategic investment in uniquely human skills – validation, deep context, and creative refinement – to ensure their #AI investments pay off. Check out our full September Monthly Hiring Report (link in comments) and tune in to this segment on Bloomberg Television, where Upwork CFO Erica Gessert breaks down the new human-led, AI working reality and how people are providing the essential layer of quality needed to deliver actual business value: https://lnkd.in/geqDqgaY

Seasoned professionals often struggle with personal branding because traditional advice focuses on building visibility rather than leveraging existing authority and expertise. The most effective branding strategies for experienced professionals emphasize thought leadership and industry wisdom rather than personal promotion or trend-following. Key platforms and approaches that work: Professional publishing through platforms like Medium allows you to share insights and frameworks developed through decades of experience. Speaking opportunities and podcast appearances position you as an industry authority and provide content that can be repurposed across multiple channels. Board-ready profile development opens doors to governance opportunities while demonstrating executive-level thinking. Alumni network activation leverages existing relationships built throughout your career trajectory. Industry association leadership roles provide visibility within your professional community while contributing meaningful value. Mentorship program participation allows you to monetize your experience while building relationships with emerging leaders. The goal isn't to compete with younger professionals on energy or trend awareness - it's to demonstrate the strategic thinking and problem-solving capability that only comes through extensive experience. Your decades of experience represent unique intellectual property. The challenge is packaging and presenting that knowledge effectively. What platforms have you found most effective for showcasing professional expertise? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3yuu7 #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #personalbranding #executivebranding #thoughtleadership #careerstrategist

I've been writing recently about the need for clear digital work environments and explicit agreements to make hybrid work successful. But these systems aren't just about coordinating employees across different locations—they're essential infrastructure for the rapidly growing freelance workforce that's reshaping how business gets done. The evidence is compelling: According to new research from Remote’s "State of Freelance Work 2025" report, 91% of companies have maintained or increased their use of freelancers over the past three years, with 52% explicitly expanding their freelance utilization. This isn't a temporary shift but a fundamental transformation of work relationships. The data shows engineering and IT leading freelance adoption (37%), followed by creative roles (34%), customer support (32%), and marketing (31%). What's driving workers toward freelancing? It's *not* primarily return-to-office mandates (only 6% cite this) but rather autonomy (41%), supplemental income needs (31%), and flexibility (28%). Interestingly, we're also seeing a "silver freelance" trend, with 45% of employers noting an increase in freelancers aged 55+ who bring valuable experience and mentorship capabilities. Yet despite these benefits, the administrative systems supporting this integration remain woefully inadequate—85% of freelancers report late payments, and nearly half of companies are managing these relationships through makeshift spreadsheets and disjointed processes. Which is a far cry from consistent ways of working and business rhythms. Read my article in Forbes to discover how leading organizations are building the digital infrastructure that supports both hybrid work and the fluid workforce of the future. https://lnkd.in/ep-vTuDp The investments you make today in streamlining these systems aren't just about current efficiency—they're about competitive advantage in attracting tomorrow's talent. #futureofwork #freelancers #workforce #hybridwork #enployeeexperience

This week I joined Responsible Innovation Labs and Jake Sullivan for a timely conversation about AI-driven workforce transformation and what it means to build enduring companies in this new era. AI-driven workforce transformation is a challenge we need to rise to. AI will dramatically change the nature of jobs. It will likely help people work more efficiently and create higher-value, more enjoyable jobs with less admin work. It will also require us to proactively manage productivity returns, making sure that AI-driven gains are distributed to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, be it through reinvestment in employee retraining programs and education or additional compensation for these higher-value jobs. But we believe that proactive management of this workforce transformation will result in benefits for companies, countries, and society as a whole. Responsible AI development and workforce transformation is strategic: 🔵 Companies will scale more predictably and avoid costly missteps and reactive regulation, and create enduring value by enabling, rather than replacing, human talent. With AI augmenting human capability, companies will find themselves with the ability to simply do more and do it better, be it entering new markets or developing new products. 🔵 Countries will benefit from newly enabled national resilience as an AI-enabled workforce will re-onshore productivity and reduce the reliance on offshore labor. Companies like Crescendo are demonstrating this as they automate repetitive call center tasks. By reducing volume-based labor needs, companies will be able to create customer service delivery jobs domestically, while maintaining similar labor costs. These new business models will enable us to rearchitect supply chains for national resilience and power a new era of domestic job creation, without raising the cost burden for enterprises. 🔵 We believe society as a whole will stand to benefit from productivity gains, as we reimagine the new problems individuals, companies, and entire economies can solve with a workforce less bogged down by administrative and execution-heavy tasks and more empowered by creative, strategic job responsibilities. Appreciate the RIL team and fellow leaders bringing sharp insights to the table. I’m looking forward to keeping this conversation - and the work - going. cc General Catalyst Gaurab Bansal Carin Watson Cecilia Young

I need to address something troubling I'm seeing in the freelance world YES!! The Dark Side of Portfolio Building & its a wake-up call for freelancers New freelancers are actually taught by experienced mentors to create a mock portfolio that they call a "DEMO". This has to stop. Here's a real story: Years ago, I hired an intern whose portfolio looked incredible. Stunning social media designs, perfect layouts, and professional polish. But on day one, the truth emerged – every single design was a downloaded template he claimed as his own. The result? He couldn't deliver because he had zero real design experience. His career started and ended with deception. If you're starting your freelance journey in 2025, here's what you need to know: 1. Real experience beats fake portfolio pieces every time 2. Your personal brand can be your testing ground 3. Track actual results from real projects 4. Build genuine case studies, even if they're small 5. Focus on sustainable growth over quick wins In 2025, clients aren't just buying your designs – they're investing in your expertise. Build a career you're proud of, not one you have to hide. Instead of downloading templates, create original designs for your own social media. Document your growth. Share your learning process. Real clients appreciate authenticity over perfection. You're not just building a portfolio – you're building a reputation that will follow you throughout your career. The foundation you build today determines your success tomorrow. Choose integrity over shortcuts. #Freelancing #CareerAdvice #PortfolioBuilding #Authenticity #ProfessionalDevelopment

🚀 Navigating the Dynamics of Gig Worker Engagement in GCCs 🌐 As the landscape of work continues to evolve, defining a robust gig worker strategy is paramount for Global Capability Centers (GCCs). While gig workers bring invaluable flexibility and expertise, addressing the associated challenges is key to a seamless integration into the workforce. Here's a closer look at some crucial considerations: 1️⃣ Can Gig Workers Meet Your Business Needs? Identify tasks suited for gig workers. Assess scalability and flexibility requirements. 2️⃣ Communication Barriers Overcome potential delays with asynchronous communication. Bridge gaps in time zones, languages, and preferences. 3️⃣ Quality and Consistency Strive for consistent quality across freelancers. Invest in efforts for a cohesive output. 4️⃣ Dependence on Individual Availability Mitigate risks of freelancer unavailability. Diversify tasks among freelancers for critical operations. 5️⃣ Integration with Company Culture Foster understanding and alignment with company culture. Enhance collaboration for remote freelancers. 6️⃣ Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Concerns Implement measures for managing intellectual property. Ensure confidentiality through robust agreements. 7️⃣ Project Management Challenges Streamline coordination with multiple freelancers. Enhance visibility into freelancers' workflow. 8️⃣ Reliability and Accountability Evaluate freelancers' reliability before engagement. Set clear expectations for adherence to deadlines. 9️⃣ Long-Term Commitment Issues Attract freelancers for ongoing engagements. Invest in building long-term relationships. 🔟 Limited Control over Work Environment: Acknowledge independent work nature. Collaborate effectively despite limited control. As GCCs embrace the gig economy, addressing these challenges as part of the talent management strategy is not just prudent; it's imperative. Let's foster an environment where gig workers thrive, contributing their unique skills to the success of our organizations. 💼🌐 #GigEconomy #TalentManagement #FutureOfWork #GCCLeadership #WorkplaceInnovation Vamsi Karavadi, Karthik Sridharan, Chandrika Pasricha, Rica Bhattacharyya