ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando is one of the fastest-growing freelance markets in the country, according to a new analysis from Giggster.
The company ranked Orlando No. 2 among the 30 largest U.S. metro areas for freelancer business growth since 2019.
The report used U.S. Census Bureau nonemployer business data from 2019 to 2023 to track growth in freelancer-related businesses. Giggster said it focused on categories tied to independent creative, technical, professional and media-related work, including artists, writers, performers, design services, advertising, public relations, consulting, internet publishing and video industries.
The report found that freelancer growth has shifted toward the South and Southwest, with Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina appearing among some of the strongest growth markets.
Giggster said Miami had the strongest freelancer-growth market, adding about 19,000 freelancer businesses over five years. Orlando, Atlanta, Denver, Washington, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Chicago and Charlotte also saw gains in freelancer business density.
According to the report, leading Sun Belt metros including Miami, Orlando, Charlotte, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth averaged about 19.5% growth in freelancer businesses. That compared with about 3.4% across Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Seattle and Boston.
San Francisco was the only metro area in the report to lose freelancer businesses, according to Giggster.
The report notes that nonemployer businesses are used as a proxy for freelancers, independent workers and solo business owners, meaning the rankings should be viewed as directional rather than a complete count of every freelance worker.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.