I just came across this recent New York Times article that highlighted something we’ve been hearing from members for some time: as the economy begins to recover, employers are not re-hiring people that were laid off or taking on full-time employees; instead, they are turning to temp workers or freelancers to fill positions. This seems to be the case with employers who are generally still leery of the recovery, thinking that it will not last or lead to robust growth. Employers are avoiding bringing on full-time staff, and paying for the typical benefits that come with them, by taking on part-time staff. While that may be true, we think that this is part of a trend we’ve know about for a long time. The workforce is simply changing and the recession has accelerated a trend that has been developing for years. Freelancers have been at the edge of this evolution, adapting to industry changes and the mobile nature of the modern economy. It’s encouraging to see that freelancers may also lead the way out of the recession, despite being some of the hardest hit during the past year. One thing everyone can agree on is a hope that 2010 is better than 2009 when it comes to your bottom line. Happy New Year from all of us at Freelancers Union!