REDWOOD CITY, CA--(Marketwire - Jun 3, 2011) - As summer heats up, job demand isn't slowing down. Finding the perfect summer job isn't limited to lifeguarding at the local pool, it's about knowing where to look online, and diving into the global talent pool.
According to the May Online Employment Report by oDesk, hot jobs for the summer include development with in-demand technologies like Facebook API and Android SDK, which continue to enjoy the largest growth in job opportunities posted. In addition, as small- to medium-sized businesses become increasingly comfortable hiring creative talent online, the demand for writing skills continues to heat up, with positions involving technical writing up 1758 percent and blogging up 974 percent over last year.
For employers, summer is a good time to leverage on-demand talent online and tap into contractors with needed skills, both to supplement full-time staff -- who may be travelling or on vacation -- and to expand their workforce with new skills not found on their current staff. For workers, summer is a great time to hone their skills by pursuing opportunities in high demand, developing relationships with new employers and considering turning those "summer jobs" into a career.
"While full-time, local hiring is slowing as we head into the summer, online talent is a great option to gain a competitive advantage in this challenging economic environment," states Gary Swart, oDesk CEO. "Meanwhile, workers are turning to online work because that's where the opportunities are. These online jobs are enabling them to develop key skills and build valuable work relationships, and finding that what starts out as a limited-term position can lead to a long-term career path."
Despite the national unemployment edging up to 9 percent in April, oDesk experienced a record number of job postings on its site at 85,120 for the month of May, which was up 7 percent from the previous month, and grew 81 percent since 2010. In addition, employers spent over $17M and contractors worked over 1.6M hours on oDesk last month alone.
For more information on the current trends in online work, please visit oDesk's Online Employment Report.
About oDesk
With more than 1.4 million contractors in over 150 countries, oDesk (www.oDesk.com) is a global employment platform that enables employers to hire, manage, and pay a flexible online workforce.
Find oDesk on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/oDesk
Follow oDesk on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/oDesk
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