Upwork has released a report outlining the top skills companies are projected to seek from Upwork Freelancers in 2023 across various fields such as technology, marketing, customer service, administration support, accounting, consulting, and design. The report highlights how businesses, facing both a talent shortage and economic uncertainty, are increasingly turning to skilled freelancers to fulfill project needs and bridge skill gaps.

Simultaneously, a growing number of professionals are redefining their career priorities. Upwork Freelancer’s recent data indicates that 39% of the U.S. workforce, around 60 million Americans, engaged in freelance work in the past year, reflecting a record high.

Margaret Lilani, VP of talent solutions at Upwork, noted that a transformative shift in the perception of work is occurring, as skilled individuals are drawn to freelancing due to its flexibility and autonomy, while companies are embracing independent professionals to stay competitive and tap into a burgeoning pool of qualified talent. The evolving landscape presents opportunities for freelancers to expand their skill sets and for businesses to engage independent experts at an increased rate.

The report highlights the most in-demand skills, showcasing the pivotal role skilled freelancers will play in addressing talent shortages and fulfilling critical business needs in 2023. Notable skills with substantial year-over-year growth on the Upwork Freelancer platform include sales and business development (54% growth), data entry (47% growth), accounting (45% growth), and 3D animation (44% growth).

Kevin Campbell, a successful full-stack web developer on Upwork, emphasized that freelancing offers an avenue to leverage one’s abilities, acquire new skills, and safeguard income during uncertain economic times. He mentioned that the demand for independent talent is rising, and freelancers can control various aspects of their careers, including work location, schedule, collaborators, and their definition of success.

Upwork Freelancers’ most in-demand skills are:

Upwork’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Tech Skills for 2023:

1. Full Stack Development
2. Front-End Development
3. Back-End Development
4. Mobile App Development
5. Web Design
6. Ecommerce Website Development
7. UX/UI Design
8. CMS Development
9. Manual Testing
10. Scripting & Automation

Upwork’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Marketing Skills for 2023:

1. SEO
2. Social Media Marketing
3. Other Digital Marketing
4. Lead Generation
5. Sales & Business Development
6. Telemarketing
7. Search Engine Marketing
8. Email Marketing
9. Marketing Strategy
10. Marketing Automation

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Upwork’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Customer Service & Admin Support Skills for 2023:

1. Email, Phone & Chat Support
2. General Virtual Assistance
3. Data Entry
4. Digital Project Management
5. General Research Services
6. Tech Support
7. Dropshipping & Order Processing
8. Community Management
9. Market Research
10. Transcription

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Upwork’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Accounting & Consulting Skills for 2023:

1. Accounting
2. Recruiting & Talent Sourcing
3. Bookkeeping
4. Financial Analysis & Modeling
5. Management Consulting
6. Instructional Design
7. HR Administration
8. Business Analysis & Strategy
9. Tax Preparation
10. Financial Management/CFO

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Upwork’s Top 10 Most In-Demand Design & Creative Skills for 2023:

1. Graphic Design
2. Video Editing
3. Illustration
4. 3D Animation
5. Presentation Design
6. Image Editing
7. Cartoons & Comics
8. Product & Industrial Design
9. 2D Animation
10. Video Production

Conclusion:

In Conclusion, Upwork’s insights reveal a growing reliance on skilled freelancers to address business needs amidst talent shortages. This shift towards freelancing reflects changing career aspirations and offers a flexible solution for professionals and companies in navigating today’s evolving work environment.