Freelancers Spur Gig Economy by Tapping Online Exchanges
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Two years into his new career writing code for phone apps, Leo Landau works for companies as far away as Australia while never leaving his apartment in Eugene, Oregon. By year’s end he expects to earn $10,000 more than inspecting buildings for asbestos, a job he lost in 2008.
“I’m working from home, setting my own schedule and making decent money,” Landau said. He doesn’t plan on moving to California’s Silicon Valley even if he could land higher-paying work there. For now, the self-taught programmer, 31, says he enjoys cobbling together an income via Elance, a website where companies and short-term contractors pair up.