oDesk reports 121% increase in contract hires

oDesk, the largest and fastest-growing global employment platform, announced today (Nov8) findings from its October Online Employment Report. Most notably, demand for Android skills has grown an astonishing 710% in October 2010 as compared with October 2009, reflecting the rise in popularity of mobile applications as well as the Android platform itself. The report, which tracks trends in online employment, also shows a steady increase in online contract work overall, underscoring the critical role it continues to play in a post-recession economy. Contract work at oDesk increased 121% in October relative to October 2009.

The boom in demand for Android skills appears to be the result of two distinct trends. First, mobile business applications are emerging as an important tool to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Across all platforms, the number of jobs requiring proficiency in mobile applications is growing. Second, the introduction of a variety of new mobile phones on multiple carriers over the past year has generated huge momentum for the Android platform. Add to this the launch of the Android Market -- along with the easy access to mobile applications it provides to millions of users -- and developing for the platform has become very attractive to businesses of all sizes. While iPhone development is still very much in demand, the recent rapid growth of interest in developing for the Android platform is positioning it for ongoing expansion.

According to oDesk, roughly 350 Android positions were posted on oDesk during 2009. That number has more than doubled in the past month alone.

Key findings from the oDesk Online Employment Report showed:

• Employers spent nearly $12M on contract work in October. Correspondingly, the number of hours online contractors worked rose 121% over October 2009
• Workers familiar with Facebook have 190% more job opportunities today vs. the same time last year, illustrating social media's developing role in businesses
• Demand for translators in the SMB market has grown to 340% over 2009. President Obama made a call to action for SMBs to grow and expand overseas, which may be a key driver in the growing interest for translation workers

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More statistics around oDesk's October Online Employment Report in its entirety can be found here.