Hi<p>I'm wondering if there are any researches/observations/expectations of hikes in freelancer services demand as some companies are short on budget and started laying off.<p>As layoffs leave some half-baked projects/tasks half-baked, and as freelancing has recent market growth, and minimal commitment hence less restrictions in terms of budgets.
I've worked as a contractor at a large corporation when they were having layoffs. It's mostly luck. From an accounting standpoint, cutting contractors does not have the same impact as cutting full time employees, especially for publicly traded companies. Analysts want to see reduced headcount. But keeping a bunch of contractors when employees are getting axed makes everyone uncomfortable. In the end, it's mostly luck and out of your control.
Freelancing is mostly a race to the bottom when you're 'competing' with people in countries with much lower cost of living.<p>If anything laying people off will flood the freelancer market and push prices further down. Very happy to be wrong though.<p>You need to distinguish yourself with quality and to network so you have clients/friends who always come to you first.
In my experience, it's the opposite, contractors are the easiest option for companies to cut to reduce cost and headcount, unless the person is in a key/vital role. They tend to be more expensive than permanent staff, and have shorter notice periods.