Freelancing continues to grow despite the economic crisis and the overall difficult situation in the country. Find out how the portrait of a freelancer, income level, experience, employment, and qualifications of specialists have changed during the war

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Despite the unstable economic situation and the general crisis in the middle countries, freelancing remains one of the industries that not only stands firm but also continues to develop. It is an affordable resource of qualified specialists for small and medium-sized online businesses. Thus, according to a Freelancehunt study, the demand for Ukrainian freelancers' services in the first months of 2023 increased by 84% compared to 2022.

So, what is happening in the freelance market now and what salaries do employers offer?

Read more about what is happening to the hotel business in Ukraine during the war here.

What is a freelancer in Ukraine in 2023?

According to the study, freelancing is most popular among people aged 18-35. Their market share is just over 70%:

- age 18-23 - 26.27%;

- age 24-29 - 23.67%;

- age 30-35 - 21.13%;

- age 36-41 - 13.47%;

- age 42-47 - 8.67%;

- age 48+ - 6.8%.

In terms of work experience, 29.33% of respondents have been working in the market for more than 5 years, 23.2% have been working for up to 1 year, 21.47% have no work experience, 17.87% have about 2 years of experience, and 8.13% have 1 year of experience.

At the same time, both men and women work in the freelance market in almost equal proportions - 53.13% and 46.87%, respectively.

What jobs are popular on the freelance market in Ukraine?

Today, the freelance market offers jobs in a wide variety of niches, from programming and mobile applications to design, architecture, outsourcing, and word processing.

According to the study, most freelancers work in areas related to design (32.5%), programming (19.99%), and writing (19.38%). The least popular areas are administration (1.75%), outsourcing and consulting (1.27%), and mobile applications (0.81%).

What is the employment rate of Ukrainian freelancers?

Most people associate freelancing with a part-time job rather than a stable source of income. And most freelancers (53.71%) do work about 20 hours a week. However, if freelancing is a worker's only source of income, they usually work up to 40 hours a week. The statistics are as follows:

- up to 20 hours - 35.99%;

- 20 to 30 hours - 21.69%;

- 30 to 40 hours - 15.66%;

- 40 to 50 hours - 13.1%;

- 60+ hours - 8.73%;

- 50 to 60 hours - 4.82%.

Freelancers with an income of $2000 to $3000+ work mostly 40-50 hours, $500-2000 - 20-30 hours, and up to $500 - no more than 20 hours.

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How much can you earn freelancing in Ukraine during the war?

Prices for freelance services vary and depend on the field of work, the specialist's experience, and the level of employment (i.e., how many hours they work). According to the study, the largest share of specialists (8.33%) with an income of $3000+ is in the field of promotion. Among those who earn $2000-3000, the majority of freelancers are in the service niche. Freelancers in all niches have an income of $500-1000 per month: developers, copywriters, translators, designers, etc. Mostly copywriters and translators earn up to $500. 

The researchers also note that the survey involved mostly developers who work through a service on individual projects for part-time work, and therefore their income is mostly lower than the average monthly salary of a developer, which is $1000-2000.

At the same time, according to the study, freelancers' income has decreased during the war. Thus, 39.51% of performers noted that their income had decreased, but at the same time, 32.56% of respondents noted that, on the contrary, they had increased their income. For 27.93%, it has not changed.

Prospects for the development of freelancing in Ukraine

According to the study, Ukraine may become a leader in Europe in terms of the number of freelancers in the coming years. Thanks to the development of technology, the emergence of new industries, and the popularization of freelancing as such, the demand for performers will only grow. In addition, the ability to quickly find a specialist to solve specific problems without the need to hire them makes freelancing one of the most convenient and profitable forms of cooperation. And the fact that this niche has not been affected even by the full-scale invasion of russia gives businesses "confidence in the future."

We remind you! Business in Ukraine is suffering unprecedentedly from the war. However, Ukrainians continue to stay afloat and even build and develop new businesses, achieving success in various fields. One of these entrepreneurs is Visit Ukraine CEO Anton Taranenko, who spoke about the challenges of war in business and how to motivate yourself in an extremely difficult time for the country in our previous article.

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