The LandaJob Blog:
Expert Perspectives and Industry Trends

The number of freelancers in the US grew from 76.4 million in 2024 to an estimated 79.6 million in 2025. This number is projected to rise to 90 million by 2028. As more professionals decide to leave the standard 9-5, companies can benefit by accessing specialized skills without long-term commitments.

What are the benefits?

Flexibility is key when employers need their workforce to scale up or down. When seasonal or high-peak projects are only required for a short period, contractors can help adapt quickly without the time-consuming process of traditional hiring methods

Time and Cost efficiencies are crucial for businesses. When hiring a full-time employee, costs and time are put into the recruitment, onboarding, and training process. With either a temporary contract or a contract-to-hire staff, these costs are reduced, and turnaround for placement is much quicker.

Reduced Hiring Risks – Hiring a contractor allows both the candidate and the employer a “trial period,” which allows each to determine if the placement is a good fit. This trial period can avoid the consequences of a bad hire without further loss of the time invested and resources.

Motivated Employees – Many contractors are often seeking new challenges or new industries; their motivation to perform well is high. Especially if an employer has the potential to extend a contract-to-permanent offer, the contractor hopes to exceed expectations in the hope of securing a permanent role. High productivity and engagement with happy employees are always a plus!

Why hire a Marketing/Creative recruitment firm?

Some of the top in-demand services are showing up across the Marketing and Creative Sectors:

1. Graphic design
2. Video production and editing
3. Illustration
4. Production artist
5. Image editing
6. SEO
7. Social Media marketing
8. Digital marketing
9. Marketing strategy
10. Lead generation

LandaJob has a vast network of pre-qualified contractor candidates in its pipeline and is ready to work! Our process involves interviewing job seekers to understand their unique backgrounds, skillsets and reviews of their portfolio (if applicable). This pre-vetting element from LandaJob is a time-saver in the screening process and saves resources otherwise required by a hiring company’s HR department.

LandaJob also offers ongoing communication with contractors to ensure the candidate feels the placement is a good fit and meets the performance requirements. This, in turn, allows the company to also evaluate the contractor’s performance, skills, and cultural fit into their organization if there is an opportunity to extend into a permanent offer.

In Summary:

The Contract and Contract-to-hire trend will continue to rise into the 3rd and 4th quarters, especially for roles within marketing, creative, and niche specialists. Hiring contractors offer businesses budget flexibility while providing professionals with more control over their careers. Freelance and contract hiring has become a core strategy for many companies, and LandaJob is ready to help organizations across the Midwest fulfill their necessary skills.