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The State of Freelancing in the United States

M A R K W N E K

WE STAND

freelancer;

As nontraditional occupations rise inprominence with the occasionally

shaky American job market, many haveopted to take on the life of a

where work is plentiful and no twodays are ever the same.

And millennials are themost likely to embrace this

new lifestyle.

More and more workers are choosing to take side jobs,particularly to supplement income in states with a high cost of

living.

But how does freelancingcompare to working a full-

time job?

Upwork and ProFinder give freelancers tools to findemployment.

Payment is an average of $21 per hour.

However, work is based primarily on how hard afreelancer is willing to look.

So you're trying to be yourown boss.

It is, of course, a tempting notion. The idea of subverting theusual 9-5 grind has struck a chord with young professionals.

However, transitioning to become a CEO or earn six figures istoo often a pipe dream.

The Freelancer's Union is theclosest thing to a support

network that manyfreelancers have.

Promoting unity between freelancers across thecountry, the FU helps match individuals with benefits

packages and resources that work for them.

That said, the FU is not considered an actual union,and in practice does little to regulate the often

tenuous relationship that freelancers have with clientbusinesses.

It does, however, offer an outlet for freelancers tovoice their grievances, gain leads, or connect with

others like them.

That said, freelancingis stil l a very

appealing prospect forthose that want to

avoid being a cog in acorporate machine.

Not only that, but there's ample opportunity to make aprofit, as long as you're motivated enough to track

down your own leads.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Growing subculture , including

tools to make connections .

Often lucrat ive .

Flexible l i festyle .

Ample opportunit ies .

No benefits or union .

Clients can sometimes be

dif f icult or unwil l ing to pay .

Can be unsustainable .

Pros Cons

Either way, it's achange of paradigm.

As with other job movements, the surge ofmillennials embracing it seems to foretell its role as

a big part of the job market.

The future seems to indicate a decline in thetraditional 9-5 job, with more companies willing to

subcontract work.

Are you a full- or part-timefreelancer? Share your

experience in the comments!