The freelance economy is growing at a remarkable pace, and there are two countries that are leading the way – India and the United States. The current state of freelancing in these two countries share some similarities as well as some key differences, and freelancers from both India and the United States are contributing to the freelance economy in a way that is changing the global marketplace in a major fashion. In this article, we’ll take a look at the freelance workforce in both India and the United States to gain a better understanding of how freelancers are working in two of the world’s foremost freelancing countries.

The Freelance Workforce in India

Workers in India have grasped onto the benefits of freelancing and ran with them in a major way. In fact, Indian freelancers comprise an astounding 40% of all freelancers in spite of the fact that India constitutes just 17.74% of the world’s population and in spite of the fact that only one-quarter of the people living in India have access to the internet.

Freelancing has leveled the playing field for workers in India, many of whom have talents that are in demand by major companies but who live in small villages that make putting their skills to use difficult. By connecting talented freelancers in India to clients all over the world, the freelance economy has enabled Indian workers to pursue opportunities that are much more lucrative than the opportunities they have available in their own city or village.

The Freelance Workforce in the United States

Currently, freelancers make up 34% of the workforce in the United States – an already impressive percentage that is expected to grow only larger as the years go by. The appeal of freelancing to workers in the United States is in many ways the same as the appeal of freelancing to workers in India – it offers talented workers the opportunity to pursue opportunities outside of the area where they live.

In addition to finding new opportunities, though, there are several other key factors that are driving the growth of freelancing in the United States. One of the biggest of these factors is the freedom that freelancing offers. Personal freedom is a concept close to the heart of American workers, many of whom have grown tired of checking in to a standard office job each day and answering to a boss. Freelancing enables American workers to set their own schedule, travel when they please and take their work with them, and function as their own boss. These are benefits that have become especially prioritized by millennial Americans, which explains why 50% of millennials in the United States are currently working as freelancers.

Another big factor driving the growth of freelancing in the United States is the shift toward American workers providing services over products. As the global economy has become increasingly connected across the world, many American workers have found it difficult to compete with foreign competitors who are able to produce similar products at much cheaper prices. One area where the United States still holds an advantage, though, is services. US companies and freelancers alike excel at providing services that are the among the highest quality available in the world today, and many companies and individuals are willing to pay a premium for higher quality service whereas they might not be willing to pay a premium for a US product that is of similar quality to another, lower priced product from a nation such as China.

The shift in the US economy toward providing services over products has opened the door for service-providing freelancers in the United States to excel in their careers and demand top rates for their services. This, of course, has inevitably made freelancing an increasingly attractive career option for US workers.  

Hiring US Freelancers vs Hiring Indian Freelancers

One of the biggest benefits that freelancing offers to companies and clients looking to hire talent is that it gives them the option to source employees from all over the world. When deciding whether to hire a freelancer from the United States or a freelancer from India, there are a few important distinctions to keep in mind.

In most cases, hiring an Indian freelancer is going to be more affordable than hiring an American freelancer with a similar level of experience. Most workers in India are simply accustomed to working at lower rates than US workers, and freelancing is no different. There, of course, are always exceptions to this rule, as there are plenty of highly-talented and experienced freelancers in India who demand top-tier rates for their services.

Many Indian freelancers excel as graphic designers and software developers while, on the whole, American freelancers tend to perform better in roles that require a solid understanding of the English language and American culture such as copywriting and marketing. Again, though, there are certainly exceptions to this as well, as there are plenty of Indian freelance writers and marketers who perform exceedingly well at their job and plenty of American graphic designers and software developers who do the same.

In the end, both the United States and India contribute an immense amount to the global freelancing economy, and you will certainly have plenty of talented freelancers to choose from when sourcing from either of these two countries. Choose a freelancer who will work best for your project and start taking advantage of the freelancing workforce in these two freelancing superpowers.