REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwire - March 2, 2011) - oDesk, the largest and fastest-growing global employment platform, today announced findings from the February Online Employment Report, a monthly analysis on the state of the online workforce, including in-demand skills, growth in jobs and upcoming workforce trends.
Online work has enabled contractors to tap into job opportunities far beyond their local geography. According to the report, more than 89% of all work performed online is for employers based outside the worker's home country. When comparing online work opportunities to those provided locally, online work offers access to far more open positions in a wider variety of fields.
Bernard Vukas, a contractor specializing in Microsoft Office architecture, found that online work introduced new options not available in his local economy. "I tried applying in Croatia, but the economy there is not good and I couldn't get a job. Then I heard about remote contracting from a friend, created a profile online, and today I have more work than I can handle," he says. Since starting on oDesk, Vukas was able to raise his hourly rates to $70 per hour, and then again more recently to $100/hour. Online contract work has become his full-time career and sole source of income.
Overall, demand for online work reached a new record high in February, maintaining 90% growth year-over-year and continuing to outpace the slow hiring growth seen in local jobs. As noted in oDesk's recent SMB Trend Report, contractors are enjoying increased work opportunities from employers from around the world, and opportunities for long-term positions have increased 540% over the past 3 years. The key findings from the February Online Employment Report show:
- Borderless Economy: Online Work Opportunities Go Beyond Local Openings
- A record 72,000 jobs posted
- More than $14M spent on online work in February alone
- 1M contractors registered to work
- Not Just Tech: Broad Work Variety Available Online
- Number of Web & Logo Design Opportunities Increasing Faster than Technical Positions
- Internet Marketing Jumps 114 Points Over 2010
- Writers On Call: Wordpress, Blogging and Copywriting In Demand
"Online work puts workers in touch with job opportunities on a global scale," said Gary Swart, oDesk CEO. "This borderless economy gives workers a way to find employment, enhance their skills and build their own businesses, while bypassing the slower-moving local economies. Limitless opportunities are out there for skilled workers, no matter where they live."
For more information on the current trends in online work, please visit oDesk's Online Employment Report.
About oDesk
With more than 1,000,000 contractors in more than 150 countries, oDesk (www.oDesk.com) is a global employment platform that enables companies to hire, manage, and pay a flexible, online workforce.
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