As technology progresses, it seems as though every other sector of society shifts. With technology constantly developing, the way we operate and live is affected both subtly and drastically. Take autonomous vehicles. The introduction of autonomous vehicles into mainstream society will have a drastic impact on the way we operate as a society. No longer will we be parking our cars and the need for personal vehicle will only dissipate. As with everything, technology has shaped the way we work globally. Gone are the days where you need to work for someone else, let alone a large corporation. Technology has given way to those interested in working for themselves, freelancers.
According to independent research firm, Edelman Berland, more than 53 million Americans are doing freelance work, which accounts for 34 percent of the entire workforce. In an article for entrepreneur.com, researcher Bill Tancer suggests that, “there has been a fundamental shift in the U.S. job market. Incomes have stagnated and the size of the total labor pool has contracted.” Author for the article, Russ Fujioka, reiterates this shift in the workforce with research by his company Xero, “that change is still relatively new with 41 percent of respondents reporting that’ve been freelancing for a year or less,”.
I feel as though the technology that is available to the millennial age nowadays, has made it significantly easier for someone to start a business, whether that be a freelance service or startup company. From Xero’s findings, 96 percent of those surveyed, said that freelancing was a way to supplement their existing income.
There are more freelance platforms available for people today, including ride sharing services like Uber. It’s never been as easy as it is today to survive as a freelancer. Services, like Uber, allow for people to have flexibility in a job, operating as frequent as you’d like. Websites like freelancer.com has made it possible for virtually anyone to drive an income with freelance work.
Although freelance work doesn’t guarantee an income, at the end of the day it guarantees a sense of freedom for people. Technology has made the dream of being your own boss, a possibility for anyone. Whether it be to supplement the income of a spouse, or to simply generate extra income for the household, the number of freelancers will likely increase for years to come.