Top skills in hot demand within the new gig economy

There is no doubt the buzz around the gig economy is real and on the rise. In fact, it is estimated that by 2027, the majority of the workers in the US will be contract workers, according to Upwork and the Freelancers Union. Late last year, it was reported that at Google, contract workers outnumbered direct employees for the first time in the company’s 20-year history.

But is it for everyone?

Despite its growing popularity, the gig economy is more suited to some industries and jobs than others. Right on top of the list is the high tech industry.

In an industry that is as fast-moving as the tech industry is, it is no wonder that the biggest challenge companies face is access to skills.

"As skills become more specialised, companies either need to invest in reskilling to prepare workers for the jobs of tomorrow or leverage freelance professionals who are nearly twice as likely as traditional employees to proactively take reskilling upon themselves," Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork and co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Council on the Future of Gender, Education and Work, said in a press release.

Upwork released a Skills Index in 2018 and noted that demand for the top 10 skills grew more than 400 percent compared to the same time last year. And because demand for these skills has shot through the roof, it is therefore not surprising that the top paying gig jobs are mostly in IT.

The top 10 freelance skills

• Blockchain
• Tensorflow
• Amazon DynamoDB
• Voice over
• Subtitling
• Art Direction
• Content Strategy
• Computer Vision
• Microsoft Power BI (Business Analytics)
• Augmented Reality

Not just high tech, however

FlexJobs, based on an analysis of over 49,000 companies and its own database, compiled this top 10 list of freelance careers.

• Computer & IT
• Accounting & Finance
• HR & Recruiting
• Editing, Proofreading, and Writing
• Administrative
• Project Management
• Data Entry
• Research Analysis
• Software Development
• Technical Support

In Hong Kong, a lot of contracting jobs are for IT developers, especially in the banking sector, said Joshua Wrafter, Managing Director for PageGroup contracting.

“With startup companies and online stores becoming more prevalent in Hong Kong, developers are in high demand and many are on short term contracts of between three to six months,” said Joshua.

With this list, it’s important to note that any organisation can benefit from hiring contractors for their workforce. Whether it’s a large, time-sensitive project, or a specialist position that is only needed on a short-term basis, contractors can provide an ideal solution to staffing needs.

Find out more about the many faces of the new Mobile Economy and see which ones fit your company.