Freelancers in the 30 largest US freelancing markets saw their revenue rise by a projected 6.1% to $191 billion in 2023, according to a report by Fiverr International (NYSE: FVRR).
New York City freelancers earned the most revenue at $30.36 billion in 2023, according to Fiverr’s estimates.
The Big Apple was followed by Los Angeles, where freelancers earned nearly $22.20 billion, and Miami, with freelancer revenue of $15.69 billion.
The top 30 markets for freelancers represent 57% of all freelancers in the US and account for 63% of revenue, according to Fiverr.
New York City had the most freelancers of any of the large metros at 574,989. Again following was Los Angeles at 417,685 and Miami at 291,321.
In total, the top 30 had 4.0 million freelancers in 2023, up 2.4% from the previous year.
Fiverr noted that freelancers in the top 30 markets earn $48,288 on average, which is about $4,334 more than the US average. However, freelancers can — depending on the market — earn an average of anywhere from $36,234 to $60,135 annually. Receipts were highest in San Jose, California; San Francisco; Washington; Nashville, Tennessee; Miami; and Los Angeles.
Technical services freelancers earned the most in Washington at $75,255 on average, while creative professionals in St. Louis earned the least at $19,250 on average.
The report analyzed datasets from the Nonemployer Statistics data series published by the US Census Bureau to prepare its report.
A majority of recently employed individuals, 70%, said they landed a job within three months, according to a survey by ResumeBuilder.
Breaking the results down, more than a quarter, 26%, found their new job within a single month; however, it took some longer. Twenty-two percent secured employment within four to six months, 5% within seven to 11 months, and 3% took a year or longer.
The report also revealed the duration it took to secure employment across various industries. Food, hospitality, retail, construction, computer, and information technology sectors were the most likely to report they successfully landed a job within three months. Meanwhile, workers in the education, business, and finance industries were the least likely to report finding employment within three months.
“Job seekers’ perceptions of the current job landscape are shaped by various factors, and it’s evident that many find it challenging,” Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder, said in a press release.
“One key consideration is the ongoing organizational adjustments and layoffs to align with market conditions,” Haller said. “Despite media emphasis on layoffs and perceived market instability, it’s important to recognize that specific industries are affected differently.”
Additionally, among those surveyed, the majority of respondents received multiple job offers, 34% received one offer, 38% received two offers and 20% received three offers, while only 7% received four or more offers.
Further insights from the survey indicated that 46% of all respondents incorporated AI into their job search process. Among them, 65% utilized AI for résumé creation, 54% for interview preparation, 45% for cover letter writing, and 41% for email composition.
On the flipside, 27% consider themselves highly skilled in AI usage, while 50% perceived themselves as somewhat adept. Conversely, 18% admitted having limited proficiency, and 6% claimed to lack skill in this area.
This survey was led by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish in May 2024. In total, 738 respondents completed the full survey.
The wildly popular "Call of Duty" videogame, made by Activision Blizzard, is raising the stakes again with the intersection of the company’s Call of Duty Endowment, plus Military Appreciation Month — which lasts through May.
And to further the mission all year long, a large donation was presented in recent days to support the Call of Duty Endowment.
Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst, donated $2.5 million to the endowment, it announced.
The donation is the largest single private donation in the endowment’s 15-year history, a press release noted. The donation will support the placement of more than 4,000 veterans into high-paying jobs.
"The Call of Duty Endowment helps veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace," Los Angeles-based Helene Imperiale, senior director, of Call of Duty Endowment, told Fox News Digital via email.
The Call of Duty Endowment "helps veterans find high-quality careers by supporting groups that prepare them for the job market and by raising awareness of the value vets bring to the workplace," said a senior director. (Call of Duty / Fox News)
‘We do this by funding the most efficient and effective veteran support organizations that get unemployed and underemployed veterans back to work," she said.
"Our unique, accountability-based donation model — our Seal of Distinction Program — ensures we only support the highest performing nonprofits that place vets in good jobs."
The Call of Duty Endowment is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by Activision Blizzard.
"The endowment was founded to give back meaningfully to the real-life heroes who inspire Activision’s game, ‘Call of Duty,’" said Imperiale.
"'Call of Duty' is one of the world’s largest entertainment brands, played by millions of people around the world."
PlayStation 4 "Call of Duty WWII" game packaging is seen at a shop in Krakow, Poland on July 17, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
To date, Imperiale reported that Activision Blizzard has donated more than $40 million to the endowment.
She noted it has "successfully placed over 125,000 veterans into high-quality jobs through more than $73 million in grants."
Activision Blizzard covers all the endowment’s operating costs, she said.
"Every cent that we raise goes directly to putting veterans in jobs — it’s incredibly rare for a nonprofit to have this advantage in its mission," Imperiale said.
Military Appreciation Month goes well beyond just one day devoted to military or veterans, Imperiale also said. It's been spanning the entire month of May.
"One day is simply not long enough to show our true appreciation," she said.
About the role of the endowment and veteran support, she said the mission is clear.
"We dedicate our talents and resources to providing new in-game content that both entertains and educates our ‘Call of Duty’ community about our mission to help those who have served." (iStock / iStock)
"As a company, we dedicate our talents and resources to providing new in-game content that both entertains and educates our ‘Call of Duty’ community about our mission to help those who have served," she said.
"Each May during Military Appreciation Month, the endowment strives to raise awareness and funds to help more veterans find the jobs they deserve."
This year the endowment will be launching the U Assist Veterans (UAV) Challenge, said Imperiale.
"The in-game challenge is based on the use of UAVs within ‘Call of Duty,’ which reveal the enemy locations and help players navigate their next move," she noted.
"Similarly, veterans rely on the endowment to help navigate their career search."
Those in search of a job are shown visiting an employment center in San Francisco, California, in this file photo. The Call of Duty Endowment fund helps America's veterans find meaningful work after their military service. (Reuters/Robert Galbraith / Reuters)
Additionally, she noted the introduction of two new in-game bundles: "The Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Knight Recon: Tracer Pack" and "C.O.D.E. Regulator Pack" — with proceeds going directly to putting veterans back to work.
"Through both our in-game packs and the U Assist Veterans Challenge, our hope is to raise millions of dollars to place thousands of veterans into high-quality jobs," she said.
When re-entering civilian life, Imperiale noted that "veterans are three times more likely to land a meaningful job if they obtain professional help with resume writing and interviewing skills."
She added, "They should never pay for these services, as we provide them for free through our grantees."
Anyone can learn more about the Call of Duty Endowment at www.Callofdutyendo.