Freelance at a Glance [Infographic]

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Francis Tan

Francis Tan is the Asia editor of TNW, who is based in the Philippines. He is particularly interested in Asian Internet startups, social me (show all) Francis Tan is the Asia editor of TNW, who is based in the Philippines. He is particularly interested in Asian Internet startups, social media and e-commerce. Get in touch with him via Twitter @francistan or Email [email protected].

Socialcast brings us an Infographic that details different statistics on the fastest growing face of the global workforce: freelancers.

The popularity of mobile devices combined with the explosive growth of apps and cloud-based computing are making it easier than ever before for people to take their expertise out of the office and set off on their own.

Here are a couple of interesting stats:

43.8% of all freelancers get the bulk of their training by teaching themselves.
South American freelancers work the most with an average of 49 hours/week.
The average age of a freelancer is 32 years old.
The easiest way to get a freelancing job is by referrals at 34.2%
The top reason for freelancing is the flexibility, followed by having creative control over projects.
40% of freelancers report having trouble getting paid wages they’re owed.
Google Docs, Dropbox, and Skype are the most commonly used tools.
Only 8.1% want to return to full-time employment.

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