Rockbridge Associates’ recent work with Fiverr on the skilled freelance workforce was just featured in the Wall Street Journal. For the past three years, Rockbridge and Fiverr have conducted the Freelance Economic Impact study, estimating the size and growth of the skilled freelance workforce and its economic impact in top markets around the U.S. Skilled freelance workers – providers of creative, professional, and technical services – number 5.8 million in the U.S., with nearly six in ten skilled freelancers living in one of the top 30 markets. Their revenues in the top 30 markets total more than $150 billion, representing 1-2% of GDP in each market.
Rockbridge is an expert in research on freelancing, small business, independent workers, and on-demand economy workers. This includes public studies for clients like Fiverr and MBO Partners, and proprietary studies for clients in the technology, financial services, travel, energy, and communications sectors. From estimating the total size of the independent workforce and the size of the skilled freelance workforce, to uncovering the attitudes around and motivations behind independent and on-demand work, to helping companies develop better products to serve these populations, Rockbridge’s research in this area has been widely published:
- Freelance Economic Impact Report for Fiverr
- State of Independence Annual Report for Emergent and MBO Partners
- Dispatches from the New Economy Report for Emergent and Intuit
- The On-Demand Economy Is Growing, and Not Just for the Young and Wealthy, featured in the Harvard Business Review
We also conduct numerous thought-leadership studies on company innovativeness and social innovation through the American Innovation Index™, as well as on technology trends (e.g., the size of the on-demand economy marketplace) through the National Technology Readiness Survey, which has monitored trends since 1999.
To schedule a consultation about conducting a study on workforce issues or just to discuss our learnings, please contact us today!