What is freelancer ?

Freelancing is a gendered form of work.[3] The 2012 Freelance Industry Report estimates that more than 71% of freelancers are women between the ages of 30 and 50.

Surveys of other specific areas of freelancing have similar trends. Demographic research on Amazon Mechanical Turk reveals that the majority of North American Mechanical Turk workers are women.

Catherine McKercher's research on journalism as a profession has showcased that while media organizations are still male-dominated, the reverse is true for freelance journalists and editors, whose ranks are mainly women.

Freelancers have a variety of reasons for freelancing, the perceived benefits differ by gender, industry, and lifestyle.

For instance, the 2012 Freelance Industry Report reported that men and women freelance for different reasons.

Female survey respondents indicated that they prefer the scheduling freedom and flexibility that freelancing offers, while male survey respondents indicated they freelance to follow or pursue personal passions.

Freelancing also enables people to obtain higher levels of employment in isolated communities.

Freelancing is also taken up by workers who have been laid-off, who cannot find full-time employment,[3] or for those industries such as journalism which are relying increasingly on contingent labor rather than full-time staff.

Freelancers also consist of students trying to make ends meet during the semester. In interviews, and on blogs about freelancing, freelancers list choice and flexibility as a benefit.

Freelancing, like other forms of casual labor, can be precarious work.[2] Websites, books, portals and organizations for freelancers often feature advice on getting and keeping a steady work stream.

Beside the lack of job security, many freelancers also report the ongoing hassle of dealing with employers who don't pay on time and the possibility of long periods without work.

Additionally, freelancers do not receive employment benefits such as a pension, sick leave, paid holidays, bonuses or health insurance, which can be a serious hardship for freelancers residing in countries such as the US without universal health care.

Freelancers often earn less than their employed counterparts. While most freelancers have at least ten years of experience prior to working independently,[3] experienced freelancers do not always earn an income equal to that of full-time employment.

Feedback from members suggests that web portals such as Freelancer.com tend to attract low paying clients that, although demanding very high standards, pay ~$10 per hour or less.

According to research conducted in 2005 by the Professional Writers Association of Canada on Canadian journalists and editors, there is a wage gap between staff and freelance journalists.

While the typical Canadian full-time freelancer is female, between 35-55, holding a college diploma and often a graduate degree, she typically earns about $29,999 Canadian dollars before taxes.