These 10 HR and recruiting firms are hiring in 2021

The pandemic has disrupted the workforce, leading many employers to turn to the freelance market to fill employment gaps.

Thirty-six percent of the workforce freelanced full time in 2020, up from 28% in 2019, according to a survey by Upwork. Widespread layoffs and the acceleration of remote work opened up opportunities for both employees and employers to seek contract work.

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Remote work has made it easier than ever for employers to recruit a talented and diverse workforce from anywhere. This will play a critical role as organizations make strategic business decisions for 2021 and beyond.

“Companies strategically turn to freelancers during times of economic uncertainty when it’s not financially possible for them to hire full-time employees,” says Sara Sutton, CEO of job searching platform FlexJobs. “As the pandemic economy continues and remote work is more widely accepted by employers of all types, employers that were previously hesitant to hire remote freelancers may do so in the coming year.”

Freelancers may not have access to healthcare or other employer provided benefits, but the flexibility of contract work is appealing to many. Sixty-five percent of freelancers report being happier at work, compared to 55% of full time employees and more than half have made more money during the pandemic than before, Flexjobs found.

The platform culled their job database for the ten companies hiring the most freelance workers in 2021: