Are Small Businesses Making a Comeback?

I recently received Elance’s monthly ezine, Elancer. Normally, I’d just delete it right away (makes me wonder why I’m still subscribed, but I haven’t gotten around to sorting that out yet—that’s one of Alyssa’s strengths), but the subject line caught my eye, so I decided to open it.

The headline read: “50,000 Jobs Posted This Month – Demand Up 40%.” As a bit of a numbers and stats enthusiast, I was intrigued by these figures.

What do these numbers actually mean?

First off, I’m assuming Elance’s numbers are accurate, even though I know they’re primarily used for marketing. However, in this prolonged recession, numbers like these are hard to ignore.

For freelancers, more jobs posted means more opportunities to land work and earn some income. This is especially welcome during a time when many businesses are hesitant to hire new employees.

For small businesses, which are often the first to show signs of recovery, posting jobs on freelance sites like Elance might indicate they are feeling more optimistic about their short-term prospects, even if they aren’t ready to hire full-time staff yet.

Are these numbers just a one-time thing or do they hint at a bigger trend? While it’s too early to say for sure, it’s worth keeping an eye on in the coming months.

If you’re a freelancer, have you noticed more opportunities this year? If you’re a small business owner, are you outsourcing more work? If so, why?