E-lancing, also known as e-labour, is the practice of taking freelancing work through online job offers. E-lancing websites or platforms operate as hubs where employers place tasks, which freelancers from around the world bid for. Some e-lancing websites act as intermediaries for payment, paying the freelancer directly after work is completed, to mitigate the risk of non-payment.The Economist Newspaper Ltd, 2010. "Work in the digital age: a clouded future". The Economist, Volume 395, Number 8682, May 15th-21st 2010. Roto Smeets, Weert (Netherlands). Employers posting work on these websites set the price they are willing to pay for the task proposed.
History In 2012, 1.56 million people were freelancers in the United Kingdom, a rise of 11.9% since 2008.Holdt, Keith Sebastian Trenner of the World Bank wrote in 2012 that online marketplaces were unlikely to produce a significant decrease in skilled unemployment.Trenner, Sebastian Conversely, Karsten Geis of Empirica Capital wrote in 2014 that e-lancing would be a primary employer of the future, and that normal jobs will tend to disappear.Gareis, Karsten
Notable e-lancing websites include Fiverr, Freelancer.com, Guru.com, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork.
See also Freelancer Gig worker Online marketplace Online outsourcing
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