1 in 3 workers expected to be hired online by 2020

Elance, the world’s leading online work platform, recently announced that Nigeria is the fastest growing country in Africa for independent professionals, with a 35% increase in earnings over the last quarter on Elance. With over 500,000 businesses on Elance seeking freelance talent, online work represents a substantial opportunity for students and professionals in Nigeria to increase their income and gain valuable work experience.

“We predict that 1 out of every 3 workers around the world will be hired online by 2020, making the future of freelance work virtually unlimited,” said Mr. Rich Pearson, Elance Chief Marketing Officer. “We are committed to develop the online work market in Nigeria and provide freelancers with the tools and training they need to succeed on Elance.”

Speaking at the “Work Differently Summit” held in Lagos for local freelancers, Mr. Pearson shared that Nigeria trails only South Africa and Kenya on the continent in freelancer earnings. He also noted that the average hourly wage for Nigerians on Elance is over $15 per hour, an increase of 36% over the last 12 months. Nigerians with skills in Programming, Graphic Design and Writing are the highest earners, and the top five countries hiring Nigerians on Elance are the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore.

Earlier this year, Elance announced that 345,000 new businesses (+54%) joined Elance globally in 2012, posting over 80,000 jobs a month. During the year, 779,000 new freelancers (+44%) joined Elance to find work, with annual freelancer earnings surpassing $200M (+40%) for the first time.