“Bitcoin” just topped the list of fastest-growing freelance skills in demand

We know that freelancers are preparing for the future of work faster than their counterparts who work for one employer. Sixty-five percent of independent workers claimed to be staying on top of career prep as jobs and skills evolve and machine learning gets more sophisticated, according to Upwork and the Freelancers Union.

Among the skills they are quickly gaining expertise in, the top is Bitcoin. In fact, Upwork’s most recent survey of the 20 fastest-growing freelance skills was dominated by emerging technologies in cryptocurrency, AI, and AR. Although Bitcoin’s price has fallen, demand for expertise continues as others look to develop their own cryptocurrencies.

As companies continue to leverage more AI, robotics (#4), computer vision (#9), and machine learning (#18), also dominate the list of skills in demand.

You can see the full list here.

These skills are a predictor of future work trends, as the freelance workforce is growing more than three times faster than the U.S. workforce overall, according to the annual “Freelancing in America” survey by Upwork and the Freelancers Union. The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that talent platforms could add $2.7 trillion, or nearly 2%, to global Gross Domestic Product by 2025.

 

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