Freelance arrangements show up as independent contracting, gig work, and self-employment—and their prevalence varies by occupation and income stability. The page walks through key U.S. participation rates, the scale of activity on platforms such as Upwork, and what growth signals mean for workers and employers. You’ll also explore common friction points, including procurement delays, late payments, and how platform payment processing can affect take-home earnings.
Key Takeaways
- 8.4% of the U.S. labor force worked as independent contractors in 2023
- 9.1% of U.S. employment was in the form of independent contractors in 2023
- 15.3% of U.S. workers earned money through gig work in 2023
- $1.4 billion was the global market size for freelance services on Upwork in 2023 (Upwork marketplace payments)
- $3.3 billion was the total gross services volume on Upwork in Q4 2023 (Upwork)
- $489.6 million in revenue was reported by Upwork for 2023 (Upwork annual results)
- In 2023, Upwork revenue was $489.6 million (Upwork annual results)
- Upwork’s U.S. dollar-based payments volume in 2023 was $2.8 billion GSV (Upwork annual results)
- In Upwork’s 2023 results, GSV grew year-over-year by 7% (Upwork earnings release)
- 43% of freelancers reported losing work because of procurement delays in 2022 (Freelancers Union survey)
- 38% of freelancers reported late payments from clients in 2022 (Freelancers Union survey)
- 71% of freelancers reported being paid late at least once in the last 12 months (PayPal/Upwork survey, 2021)
In 2023, millions freelanced in the gig economy, while platform markets grew and late payments still hurt workers.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce19 stats
01
8.4% of the U.S. labor force worked as independent contractors in 2023
02
9.1% of U.S. employment was in the form of independent contractors in 2023
03
15.3% of U.S. workers earned money through gig work in 2023
04
20.3% of U.S. workers were self-employed in 2023
05
11.7% of U.S. workers reported working as independent contractors in 2022
06
63% of freelancers in the U.S. are men (freelance survey, 2022)
07
37% of freelancers in the U.S. are women (freelance survey, 2022)
08
48% of U.S. freelancers are 25–34 years old (freelance survey, 2022)
09
34% of freelancers worldwide work in writing/translation services (Upwork, 2023)
10
26% of freelancers worldwide work in software development (Upwork, 2023)
11
18% of freelancers worldwide work in design (Upwork, 2023)
12
22% of freelancers worldwide work in marketing/sales services (Upwork, 2023)
13
47% of freelancers say they do freelancing because they can choose projects
14
38% of freelancers say they freelance because they want flexible schedules
15
24.6% of workers in the EU (15+) were self-employed in 2023
16
In France, 9.6% of employed persons were self-employed in 2023 (INSEE)
17
45% of freelancers reported that they plan to increase their freelancing activity in 2024 (Freelancers Union)
18
38% of U.S. freelancers said they had a full-time client in 2023 (Upwork)
19
28% of U.S. freelancers said they rely on freelancing for most of their income in 2023 (Upwork)
Interpretation
Workforce Interpretation
From a workforce perspective, freelance work is a substantial and growing slice of employment, with 15.3% of U.S. workers earning money through gig work in 2023 and 20.3% identifying as self-employed that same year, while men make up 63% of freelancers.
02 · Category
Market Size14 stats
01
$1.4 billion was the global market size for freelance services on Upwork in 2023 (Upwork marketplace payments)
02
$3.3 billion was the total gross services volume on Upwork in Q4 2023 (Upwork)
03
$489.6 million in revenue was reported by Upwork for 2023 (Upwork annual results)
04
$35.7 billion global independent contractor/contingent workforce management market in 2023 (Research)
05
$3.2 trillion global freelance services market projected by 2030 (Freelance market forecast)
06
$1.0 trillion freelance services market projected by 2025 (Freelancer services forecast)
07
$2.7 trillion freelance services market forecast in 2027 (Freelancer services forecast)
08
Over $1.0 trillion in online freelance work expected by 2023 (Upwork research, cited widely)
09
83% of surveyed business leaders in the U.S. said they use freelancers for at least one task (Upwork)
10
69% of U.S. business leaders said their use of freelancers increased in 2020 (Upwork)
11
56% of U.S. business leaders said freelancers help them reduce staffing costs (Upwork)
12
44% of U.S. business leaders said they use freelancers because they need specialized expertise (Upwork)
13
$7.8 billion global online freelancing market size in 2022 (McKinsey/Gig work estimates summary)
14
$100+ billion annual payments routed through online work platforms by 2020 (OECD estimate)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size angle, freelance is already substantial with Upwork alone reaching $1.4 billion in 2023 marketplace payments and a projected global freelance services market that could grow to $3.2 trillion by 2030, showing strong momentum beyond any single platform.
More related reading
03 · Category
Platform Economics4 stats
01
In 2023, Upwork revenue was $489.6 million (Upwork annual results)
02
Upwork’s U.S. dollar-based payments volume in 2023 was $2.8 billion GSV (Upwork annual results)
03
In Upwork’s 2023 results, GSV grew year-over-year by 7% (Upwork earnings release)
04
PeoplePerHour reported 2.0 million users registered by 2023 (PeoplePerHour annual/company report)
Interpretation
Platform Economics Interpretation
In 2023 Upwork generated $489.6 million in revenue and processed $2.8 billion in U.S. dollar payments volume with GSV up 7% year over year, underscoring how platform economics are scaling steadily on large payment flows rather than just user growth.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis19 stats
01
43% of freelancers reported losing work because of procurement delays in 2022 (Freelancers Union survey)
02
38% of freelancers reported late payments from clients in 2022 (Freelancers Union survey)
03
71% of freelancers reported being paid late at least once in the last 12 months (PayPal/Upwork survey, 2021)
04
1.4% of U.S. independent contractor income is lost to payment processing fees on platforms (estimate from merchant fee research)
05
15% of freelancers report spending more than 10 hours per month on admin tasks (Upwork freelancer survey)
06
Self-employed workers in the U.S. pay 15.3% self-employment tax on net earnings (IRS)
07
The U.S. federal income tax withholding commonly uses a progressive rate up to 37% for individuals (IRS tax rates)
08
In the U.S., the standard business use of home deduction rules allow a simplified method based on 5% safe harbor (IRS)
09
U.S. freelancers can deduct qualified business expenses that include office supplies, software, and equipment (IRS)
10
Freelancers can claim mileage at the standard mileage rate; 2024 rate is 67 cents per mile (IRS)
11
Freelancers can claim home-office deduction if regular and exclusive; IRS sets criteria for eligibility (IRS)
12
U.S. quarterly estimated tax payments are due 4 times per year (IRS Form 1040-ES instructions)
13
If no return is filed, the statute of limitations doesn't apply (IRS)
14
In the UK, HMRC requires self-assessment payments twice per year (timing of tax payments)
15
In the UK, the self-assessment filing deadline is 31 January following the end of the tax year (gov.uk)
16
In Germany, VAT threshold for small businesses (Kleinunternehmerregelung) is €22,000 for previous year (BMF/HU policy page)
17
In Germany, VAT threshold can be €50,000 for current year (UStG §19)
18
In the EU, directive on late payments sets a maximum payment term of 60 days unless otherwise agreed (EU Late Payment Directive)
19
EU late payment directive sets a statutory interest rate of at least 8 percentage points above the reference rate (Directive 2011/7/EU)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures are a major pain point for freelancers, with 43% losing work to procurement delays and 38% facing late client payments in 2022, while 71% report being paid late at least once in the last 12 months, showing that delays and cash-flow friction directly drive real financial losses.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Freelance Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freelance-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Freelance Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/freelance-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Freelance Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/freelance-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)