Freelance creative professionals might have borne the brunt of the Covid-19 lockdown but they are now in high demand as companies seek to recover from the pandemic, according to an analysis of 29 million UK LinkedIn roles, which places creatives among the country’s fastest growing jobs.
Given the explosion in home shopping, it is perhaps not surprising that ecommerce tops the list of the top 15 fastest growing job categories, up by 143% in the past year, followed by healthcare support staff.
At the height of the pandemic, the DMA’s “Coronavirus – The Impact on Business” survey showed that 44% of business had decided to let freelance or short-term staff go.
However, there is now soaring demand for digital content professionals, from bloggers, podcasters, ‘Youtubers’ and content writers, with a 118% rise in the number of roles being advertised on LinkedIn, especially for freelancers.
Many of these roles can be carried out while working from home, but Birmingham, London and Manchester are notable hotspots for digital content roles.
Creative freelancers (including writers, editors, illustrators and even voiceover artists) are in fifth place as businesses look to bolster their online presence. Companies in Birmingham, London and Manchester are once again high on the list of potential employers.
Meanwhile there has also been a surge in firms looking for recruit social media and digital marketing experts, with roles such as growth hacker, growth specialist, marketing consultant, social media manager and social media coordinator increasing in recent months. Belfast, London and Manchester are all hotspots for jobs in this sector.
Finally, job posts involving artificial intelligence grew by over 40% last year, as firms seek help them evolve their online businesses and understand how their customers work. Firms based in Cambridge, London and Manchester are the main recruiters, according to LinkedIn.
LinkedIn head of marketing solutions UK, Ireland and Israel Tom Pepper said: “Despite the challenges the industry experienced last year, it’s positive to see the rise in demand for digital marketing and social media talent, as well as creative and digital content freelancers, as companies invest in their brand to support a return to growth.
“Digital skills are going to continue to grow in importance this year as brands increasingly shift spending to digital channels to drive greater reach and business impact.”
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