$100m earned by freelancers annually
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Bangladesh received US$100 million annually from freelancing but several factors are hindering to generate more earnings. About 500,000 active freelancers are working regularly, out of 650,000 registered freelancers in the country, according to the ICT Division of Bangladesh.
But several challenges hinder the growth of this industry. The absence of an uninterrupted power supply is still a major problem for the country. Freelancing work, like complex coding for software development, requires a high level of concentration, which is often shattered by the frequent power cuts.
A lack of quality internet services, along with higher broadband prices, is a major problem for freelancers in rural areas. In spite of having broadband connections in some areas, freelancers often find it too slow to suit their work.
The lack of an easy payment system especially for receiving payments from foreign clients is another problem for this fast-growing industry.
India is the largest supplier of online labour, with close to 24 percent of total global freelance workers, followed by Bangladesh (16%) and the US (12%). Different countries focus on different sectors of freelancing services. For instance, technology and software development is dominated by Indian freelancers, while Bangladesh is the top supplier of sales and marketing support services.
One in every 10 of Bangladesh’s 44 million young people is unemployed, according to research by World Vision Bangladesh. Moreover, thousands of graduates who are finishing their studies at different public and private universities in Bangladesh are failing to find suitable positions in the job market each year.
As a result, the rate of educated unemployment in the country is increasing exponentially. However, these young unemployed people can easily start their career by taking some IT training and freelancing online. By doing so, they not only make a living but also contribute to the economy by earning a salary in a valuable foreign currency.
Meanwhile, women’s participation in freelancing is increasing gradually but it is still not high enough. A lot of women including highly educated women often sacrifice their careers in order to take care of their families. Freelancing is becoming a preferred career option for many Bangladeshi women, as it provides them with an opportunity to work from home.
Bangladeshi women who are looking to take a step out of their traditional domestic roles are finding freelance jobs to be a great solution. Research shows that in terms of the quality of the work, Bangladesh’s female freelancers have started gaining more credibility than their male counterparts. Increasing women’s participation in freelancing is therefore boosting trust in the sector.
Source: http://www.dailyindustry.news
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