Australian businesses are hiring more freelancers
Having no boss, not working nine-to-five and taking a break whenever you want are just some of the reasons why more and more Australians are turning to freelance work instead of traditional, full-time roles. Different studies found that an estimated 4.1 million Aussies — or one third of the workforce — are freelancers.
Paypal's director of mid-market and small business segments Brian McDonnell said the freelance revolution was gaining momentum in the country, and that it was “only going to grow”, with millennials “more willing take the risk” and embrace the freelance life.
“It’s never been easier to start your own business — now you have access to global platforms and markets,” he said.
“When I was growing up, my parents went to uni, got a job and worked hard, but these days it’s also never been easier for people to create their own job offering their services and signing up to a freelancer platform.”
McDonnell said the growing use of freelancers highlighted a shift in the traditional work structure as companies opted for staffing models which include a smaller number of core staff.
He said Australian businesses needed to embrace and take advantage of the growing trend to drive their business forward.
The research found businesses were most likely to hire freelancers to work in web design, programming, graphic design, web or mobile development, web marketing and sales, accounting, data entry and internet research.
It also found 70 per cent of businesses expect to be doing more work with freelancers in future, with the average business spending more than $53,000 on freelancers per year.
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This article was published in the Australia Freelance Market News 76.