57 million Americans freelanced this year according to the sixth annual study of “Freelancing in America” recently released by Upwork and the Freelancers Union. Among other things, the study finds that more Americans are choosing independent work as a long-term career option.

As government agencies and contractors adapt to new realities in the rapidly changing workforce and develop strategies regarding the future of work, they will find the complete Freelancing in America 2019 report to be an excellent point of reference.

Freelancing has become far more extensive while encompassing a wider range of skills than many may realize. Top professionals and those with high-demand skillsets in industry and government are increasingly choosing to work independently.

Not only is the landscape changing with regard to where to find talent for short or intermediate-term “gigs”, it is also changing with regard to how to find and acquire services via e-commerce marketplaces. In this regard, the federal government lags behind the commercial sector which widely depends upon online talent platforms, such as Upwork, Gigster, and Freelancer.com.

As the federal government expands the role of e-commerce marketplaces for services, the effective use of freelance talent for short and intermediate-term projects will become more prevalent. Also the ease-of-use, efficiency and cost savings of commercial solutions are becoming increasingly apparent.

Tracking the trends in the commercial sector will serve as a helpful point of reference for government sector managers as they conduct market research seeking more innovative and effective ways to adopt e-commerce solutions and acquire the talent they need for short term projects.

For a snapshot of the entire report please see the Freelancing in America 2019 infographic: