Revealed: The five jobs that WILL get you hired in the coronavirus era – and some of them pay VERY well

The most in demand jobs in Australia have been revealed as unemployment continues to soar amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Those working in engineering, mathematics and statistics have the most desirable skills, according to figures obtained by Freelancer.com. 

The report, titled Q2 2020 Fast 50, tracked the quarterly movement of the 50 fastest growing and declining jobs across 247 countries, regions and territories.

Data shows there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of freelancing jobs posted between the first and second quarter of 2020. 

This rose from 482,000 to 605,000 respectively. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected demand for mathematicians and statisticians to grow 30 per cent from 2018 to 2028 – much faster than the average for all occupations

The report also shows a 41 per cent jump compared to this time last year. The total number of jobs in this period rose 176,000 to 605,000. 

Job marketplace CEO and Chairman Matt Barrie said the growth and shift in positions was the result of companies reassessing skill utilisation and shifting towards hiring freelance resources accordingly.

‘While COVID-19 has been the trigger of the already upward trending freelancer movement, this exponential growth can also be attributed to the strong desire for individuals to finally start their own freelance enterprise, work on their own terms and supplement their income,’ he said.

‘These are promising times and positive signs for the gig economy.’

The most in demand freelance jobs in Australia are engineering positions – including mechanical, electrical and civil.

These opportunities had the greatest increase in this quarter in the report, surging 182.5 per cent to 1,472 jobs.

Worldwide this industry grew 80.7 per cent, moving from 12,442 to 22,481 jobs. 

Freelancer.com CEO and Chairman Matt Barrie said the growth and shift in positions was the result of companies reassessing skill utilisation and shifting towards hiring freelance resources

Freelancer.com CEO and Chairman Matt Barrie said the growth and shift in positions was the result of companies reassessing skill utilisation and shifting towards hiring freelance resources

In second place was mathematical modelling positions – including mathematics, Matlab, Mathematica and algorithm projects – which grew 173.2 per cent to 847 jobs.

Worldwide these opportunities had the greatest increase this quarter, surging 99.6 per cent to 16,501 jobs.  

It was followed by project management jobs in second place globally, growing 86.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2020.

Opportunities in statistics was in third place for this quarter in Australia, growing 140.9 per cent to 253 jobs. Worldwide it grew 74.4 per cent.

Other in-demand positions globally include those involving Adobe Flash (demand grew 76.2 per cent to 2,058 jobs), 2D Animation positions (up 58.7 per cent to 2,497 jobs), and game design projects (up 68 per cent) and game development (up 64 per cent).  

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected demand for mathematicians and statisticians to grow 30 per cent from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

The Q2 2020 Fast 50 report also stated healthcare, government, business and media were among the majority of employers hiring number crunchers to interpret, analyse and report data, especially relating to COVID-19. 

How much you could earn per role

Engineer – $20-$120 per hour 

Copywriter – $35-100 per hour 

Event Manager – $100 per hour 

Legal – $100 per hour 

Marketing Expert – $10-$250 per hour 

Web Designer – $15-60 per hour

IT Programmer – $5-$150 per hour

IT Strategist – $100-$135 per hour

Consultant – $50-$250 per hour

Graphic Designer – $8-$50 per hour

Human Resources $60-$500 per hour

Project Manager – $10-$180 per hour

Video Editor – $35-$65 per hour

Trainer – $20-$250 per hour Public

Relations – $66 per hour 

Photo/Video – $18-120 per hour     

eCommerce – US$260 per project 

Game Development – US$300 per project 

Mathematics – US$203 per project 

Source: freelance-market.com.au and freelancer.com

The significant rise in data was due to tracking and tracing of coronavirus cases, hospitalisations, mortality rates, tests conducted and the impacts of the pandemic, the researchers said.

Mr Barrie said the shift in requested skill sets from the first and second quarter of 2020 was the result of changing demands of employers and business models due to COVID-19 as well as a shift in market demand and a huge boost in the skilled labor pool worldwide.  

‘The freelance online job market continues to flourish in spite of global challenges,’ he said. 

The five most requested skills by employers in the first quarter of 2020 included coding, building architecture, legal, home design and YouTube. 

Housing-related skills as well as skills in home had a 46.56 per cent increase for the first quarter of the year, Freelancer.com told Daily Mail Australia.

This was reflective of lower interest rates and higher employment rates, resulting in a stronger consumer confidence due to increased income and consumers investing in long term, brick and mortar assets, it said. 

Top freelancing positions for this time last year included customer service, copy typing, bookkeeping, academic writing, data processing, statistical analysis, machine learning, Spanish, algorithm and virtual assistance. 

Local jobs, such as hiring somebody to do tasks around the home, were the worst hit sector in the second quarter of 2020, decreasing 35.6 per cent to 1,174 jobs.

Writing closely followed, suffering a 21.8 per cent decrease to 810 jobs. This category can include article, blog, editorial, content and press release writing as well as business, report, resume, speeches, screen, poetry and short story writing.

Looking to the future, Mr Barrie told Daily Mail Australia COVID-19 would continue to have a dramatic impact on the job market for the next 12 to 24 months. 

‘More businesses will be looking to work online and hire online, more people will be unemployed and be looking for jobs online, and more unemployed people will be starting side projects or startups before going back to full-time work,’ he said.

‘The first COVID-19 wave has yet to peak globally – countries like the United States are not effectively fighting the virus.  

Freelancer.com's Q2 2020 Fast 50 report revealed project management grew 86.2 per cent to 3370 jobs for Q2 2020 as well as engineering, growing 80.7 per cent to 22,481 jobs

Freelancer.com’s Q2 2020 Fast 50 report revealed project management grew 86.2 per cent to 3370 jobs for Q2 2020 as well as engineering, growing 80.7 per cent to 22,481 jobs

‘We are now starting to see the failure of major retailers, car rental companies, and airlines. This will cascade to mall owners, resorts and financial institutions.’ 

Mr Barrie predicted COVID-19 would result in a ‘permanent step in the use of freelancers, although there might be volatility quarter to quarter as lockdowns start and stop’.

‘Even if COVID-19 was solved tomorrow, some businesses will not be going back to traditional offices in a full capacity for some time, if ever,’ he said.

‘I expect that key growth areas related to mathematics, statistics, and modeling will continue to grow strongly as companies seek to better understand and react to the new economic paradigm’. 

Mr Barrie predicted COVID-19 would result in a 'permanent step in the use of freelancers, although there might be volatility quarter to quarter as lockdowns start and stop'.

Mr Barrie predicted COVID-19 would result in a ‘permanent step in the use of freelancers, although there might be volatility quarter to quarter as lockdowns start and stop’.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk