High Fiverr
THE FUTURE OF WORK
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Fiverr connects freelancers and gigs with Amazon-like efficiency, one of the reasons so many new freelancers aren’t looking back. By Mike Reddy
mid a harsh economic landscape, where Covid19 jeopardizes lives and livelihoods around the world, freelancing has emerged as a muchneeded beacon of hope for skilled workers. In the United States alone, tens of millions of people are without work following what the World Bank forecasts will go down in history as the deepest global recession since World War II. Nearly 32 million people claimed unemployment benefits for the week ending July 4, according to the Department of Labor. That number was less than two million for the comparable week in 2019.
Still, many refuse to accept the newfound hardships, instead turning to freelancing sites, such as Upwork, freelancer.com and Fiverr, to put their skills and talents to work. Freelancer.com reported an increase in the number of jobs posted between Q1 and Q2 of 2020 to the tune of over 25%. An Upwork study indicated an estimated 50% rise in freelancer sign-ups since the pandemic hit. Fiverr, too, set record numbers in past months for freelancers joining its platform and creating new gigs. But the growing workforce of freelancers predates the pandemic. According to Upwork and Freelancers Union’s sixth annual Freelancing
Brent Messenger, Fiverr’s vice president of public policy and community engagement
luckbox | august–october 2020
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8/7/20 11:54 AM
