While stats for most economic indicators remain pitifully low in long-term comparisons, numerous sources are reporting short-term gains. Importantly, advertising and freelance job markets have perked up in recent months.
Despite a near-20% drop since 2000, advertising and media jobs are looking up, according to Ad Age’s data center. In September and October, media jobs rose slightly for the first time since 2006. Advertising and marketing services jobs went up for the first time in a year.
Though many freelance creatives have been complaining about increased competition from their laid-off colleagues entering the contract-job market, it appears that this market is also growing in numbers of assignments. In tough economic times, businesses are looking to freelancers to cut down on permanent overhead commitments.
For instance, popular freelancing site Elance says that businesses are showing an increased preference for virtual contract workers. According to Chicago Tribune, year-over-year project hiring on Elance rose 40% in October.
Skeptics will point to the unemployment rate remaining above 10% and the holiday season’s tendency to offset long-term job losses with short-term but temporary gains. Yet analysts are predicting continued growth in the 2010 job market. Still, even the most optimistic warn that many jobs are not coming back—notably those in print publishing, historically among the most lucrative industries for image sellers.