The Outlook For Freelancing: Global Leaders Share Their Views

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times …” began Charles Dickens’ immortal Tale of Two Cities. Those same words might be a poetic summary of the state of the Freelancing Revolution.

The global freelance economy has grown prodigiously. Fulltime freelancers doubled in number since 2021 and side-giggers more than doubled. Some predict freelancing will overtake fulltime employment but not everyone is enthusiastic. In a recent survey 62% of freelancers were satisfied. 38% were not.

AI is massive for freelancers, opening entire industries. Organizations unable to satisfy the demand for expertise internally will rely on freelancers in many areas. But freelancers benefit unequally. New opportunities are opening, but many areas of formerly well-paid freelance work are automatable and shrinking freelancer’s prospects and pricing power.

Clients are utilizing freelancers more than ever. But it’s still challenging to grow scale among big corporates. A few platforms have broken through, but freelancing still depends largely on startups and SMBs.

Governments aren’t making freelancing easy. Domestic politics is the driver in some countries, and ponderous administration reigns in others. Freelancers in many countries could be a potent political force if organized. So far effective advocacy has eluded the industry.

With these and other crosscurrents in mind, it seemed a very appropriate time to invite freelancing platform CEOs to offer their forecasts on what they expect over the next few years of the Freelance Revolution.

Here’s what they had to say:

PAT PETITTI CEO CATALANT TECHNOLOGIES. “Companies seek ways to get work done better, faster, and more cost effectively. Designing an organization and work force that is agile, flexible, and adapts quickly to change is critical. Freelancers are a powerful way to provide organizations with the flexibility and specialized skill access needed to quickly adjust. Freelancers are becoming a larger component of more company workforces and reaching upwards of 20% of the workforce at the Fortune 500.”

PAVEL SHYNKARENKO CEO MELLOW. “The next level of acceptance and integration of fractional work across organizational levels will define the future market. We already see C-level executives and mid-management increasingly adding temporary roles, while Gen Z continues to push the boundaries of traditional employment, opting for more flexible work relationships.”

THOMAS MAAS CEO FREELANCERMAP. “Freelancing is poised to become mainstream and play a pivotal role in driving economic growth. Freelancers need to adapt quickly to AI tools, enhancing their productivity. Also, building networks, knowledge sharing, continuous learning and mutual support will be paramount for freelancers in future.”

LESLIE GARCON CEO WEEM. “Over the next years, we expect more Freelance collectives challenging traditional consultancies for bigger strategic and transformation projects. The rise of AI in matching is also a catalyst in talent selection but must be combined with human intelligence.”

LEE WILLOUGHBY Co-CEO BUBTY. “As freelancing grows, businesses will adopt internal talent pool strategies to attract freelancers, reducing reliance on saturated marketplaces. This shift, likely leaves fewer viable marketplaces, and emphasizes the rising importance of freelancing.”

THOMAS JAJEH CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, RANDSTAD. “”AI will revolutionize freelancing in the coming years. AI-powered tools automate repetitive tasks, enabling a focus on high-value work and creating new opportunities to develop AI-powered products and services. We expect increased corporate adoption of freelance as demand for specialized skills grows and governance for freelance work takes shape.”

MAULIK SAILOR CEO NOTCH UP. “The UK freelance market will stagnate due to IR35 tax changes. Many tech talents, previously freelancing, are switching to permanent roles. Changes in UK R&D Tax Credit also encumbers companies claiming remote workforce costs. We expect more challenge to freelancing if Labour wins.”

CLAUS LEINØE CEO JELBER. “Freelancing will thrive over the next 3-5 years. AI will automate tasks, optimize workflows, and match freelancers with projects, enhancing platform productivity. Freelancers will embrace AI, creating new opportunity. Consolidation among talent marketplaces will occur locally as well as globally, driven by the need for efficiency, competitive advantage, and improved talent/client experience.”

RUNAR REISTRUP CEO YUNOJUNO. “Companies are increasingly realising that technology is an essential backbone of their contingent workforce strategy. Fast, easy and reliable access to freelance talent is required by companies reliant on freelancers. The best freelancers expect a modern freelance infrastructure from their clients. For clients, modern freelance management technology offers visibility and control of their freelance workforce and rapid deployment of skills.”

GLEN HODGSON CEO FREE TRADE EUROPA. “We’ll see rapid adoption of talent clouds and elastic teams. More professionals want freedom, flexibility and influence over their work. Organisations see the productivity and efficiency gains realised by utilising pre-vetted open talent solutions. Expect exponential growth across the board.”

RAMIRO GONZALEZ FORCADA CEO THE FLOCK. “Layoffs and RTO policies slowed freelancing’s growth but the core driver remains. Top talents seek independence, project choice, and personal time management. We expect to see greater acceptance of hybrid teams and a continued rise in freelance work.”

STEVE KING Co-CEO EMERGENT RESEARCH. “The next 3-5 years will see continued growth of the freelance economy, driven by three megatrends: employers’ need for workforce agility and access to scarce talent, workers choosing freelancing for the flexibility, autonomy, and control it provides, and technology making it easier, cheaper, and less risky to become a freelancer or find, hire and manage them.”

MATT MOTTOLA CEO HUMAN CLOUD. “The freelance industry will grow 10-15%. Leaders can best position their platforms through three actions: 1) lean into their regional or industry niche or skill set expertise, 2) position themselves for growth through partnership or acquisition, 3) build stronger client relationships through well-defined client touchpoints.”

MICHAEL SOLOMON Co-CEO 10XMANAGEMENT. “The freelance industry will continue to grow as AI disrupts traditional employment but will change. Tasks currently outsourced to humans will be outsourced to AI agents. Lesser-skill work will ebb and opportunity will be limited to those who provide meaningful and unique value.”

ROBERT VLACH CEO FREELANCING.EU. “Freelancing is a conservative way of doing business, stable since Roman times: Be a reliable and trustworthy expert. Care about clients. Build your good name to get more and better work. Be financially responsible. Educate oneself. Take on good helpers, etc. This won’t change much over the next century, not to mention 3-5 years.“

CEM CIFTGUL CEO PROTEAMS. “We see several shifts. Skill demands are changing. We’ve experienced a big shift to low-code digital skills and this shift will continue. As we discover the power of AI, expect increases in AI implementation and decreases in other tasks more efficiently done by AI. Advanced IT services markets may also be affected as tasks are completed faster with AI so budgets may shrink. But expect more demand for project and product management, and other managerial skills. More people want flexible work conditions, and more companies will build flexible / hybrid workforces able to scale up and down.”

RICKY WILLIANTO CEO RAVENRY. “From a supply standpoint, more tech talents are joining the freelance world, and creating multiple streams of income for themselves. Startups looking to stay lean are open to working with talents on a project basis to avoid committing to headcounts unnecessarily. We also seeing this trend amongst more established companies.”

RAY CULVER CEO CW SOLUTIONS GROUP. “The freelance economy is poised for explosive growth. Studies predict 50% of the US workforce freelancing by 2027. Catalysts include technological advancements that ease remote work, a growing desire for flexibility, and businesses seeking specialized skills without overhead costs. Freelancing platforms will become more sophisticated, connecting skilled individuals with a global marketplace of opportunities.”

ELDRI Coll MOSSIGE CEO FOLQ. “The integration of AI for handling and interpreting massive data, alongside robust technology platforms featuring structured CV data and user-friendly candidate presentation, will dramatically enhance the efficiency and accuracy of matching the need for competence with the right talent.”

PETER MCPARTLIN Co-CEO INDIE LIST. “By 2030, skilled workers will be rare as a unicorn. PwC reports that half of CEOs doubt their company’s future without a major makeover. Pressure’s mounting: the next three years look tougher than the last five. The solution? Blended workforces with freelancers and full-timers teaming up. But first employers and HR leaders must see past their “freelancer blind spot.”

RAPHAEL OUZAN CEO A.TEAM. “Over the next 3-5 years, AI-driven platforms like A.Team‘s Team Formation AI will play a crucial role in transforming the workforce. These platforms leverage advanced algorithms and data analytics to match specialized talent with the right projects quickly, efficiently, and accurately. By tapping into an expert network, companies bridge the talent gap — already, over 70% of industry leaders have adopted the “hybrid team” model to drive innovation and reduce overhead. This approach meets the immediate talent needs of businesses and caters to professionals seeking autonomy and diverse opportunities in the evolving work landscape.”

ABEER QUMSIEH CEO KHIBRATY. “The Middle East is no longer on the sidelines of the global talent market. AI platforms and advanced communication tools are building bridges, connecting our skilled workforce with international opportunities. We see our businesses accessing a global talent pool, and regional talent thriving in the booming freelance economy.”

WEITING LIU CEO ARC.DEV. “The freelancing market will grow more internationally in the next 3-5 years. Given economic challenges, global businesses will need cost-effective labour to maintain competitiveness.”

Viva la Revolution!