Upwork Monthly Hiring Report: A Growing Focus on Operational Skills

Upwork, the world’s largest human and AI-powered work marketplace, monitors hiring trends each month to uncover the skills that are in high demand across the contingent digital knowledge work market, which is expected to reach $1.3 trillion by 2028. As of December 2025, we’re seeing companies adopt a more narrow, strategic view — focusing on freelancers who can help them execute with precision rather than broadly strategize or build new systems from the ground up. 

“In uncertain macro conditions, execution matters, and we're seeing that shift most clearly among small and medium-sized businesses,” said Anthony Kappus, chief operating officer at Upwork. “They have less room for error and are driving demand for operational roles like project management, using flexible talent to get operations tight and keep projects moving.”

Freelance hiring insights for December 2025

This month’s hiring report draws from more than one million job posts on Upwork’s U.S. marketplace and also includes insights from The Upwork Research Institute’s monthly business pulse survey. With fewer than one in three business leaders describing macro conditions as favorable in December, this report can serve as a guidepost to help you formulate your own targeted freelance hiring strategy for Q1 2026.¹

Demand for select operational skills is up by 150%

Operational roles — from accountants to virtual assistants — are in high demand as companies counter economic uncertainty with strategic planning. In December, we saw:

• 23% more interest in freelancers with project management skills ²
• 15% growth in demand for accounting and bookkeeping skills ²
• 3% higher demand for virtual admin assistant skills ²

Monthly demand for growth-related skills is down — but still a net positive for the year

While December brought a decline in demand for several skills related to business growth, this is to be expected due to seasonal shifts and end-of-year budgeting. Month-over-month, we saw:

• 56% less demand for ecommerce development skills ²
• 17% lower demand for branding and logo design skills ²
• 15% less interest in marketing, PR, and brand strategy skills ²

But when we zoom out to look at demand for these skills on a year-over-year basis, we still see positive growth, including:

• 14% higher YoY demand for ecommerce development skills ²
• 21% higher YoY demand for branding and logo design skills ²
• 43% higher YoY demand for marketing, PR, and brand strategy skills ²

SMBs drove hiring in December 2025

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) drove hiring in December, most notably in operational areas. For example:

• While demand for virtual admin assistant skills was up by 3% across all companies, demand among SMBs increased by 18% ²
• Demand for accounting and bookkeeping skills increased by 9% among SMBs alone ²

These growth patterns indicate that small businesses continue to rely on flexible, freelance talent who can help them hit their goals and keep momentum high — without the risk or operational hurdles of hiring full-time employees.

The 10 most in-demand freelance skills in December 2025

The top 10 most in-demand skills for December 2025 further reinforce companies’ broad interest in operational, not growth-focused, support. From highly technical, AI-first skills to creative work, these are the areas where freelancers were needed the most: ²

1. Python
2. Video editing
3. Graphic design
4. ChatGPT
5. AI-generated video
6. Data entry (new)
7. Virtual admin assistance (new)
8. Machine learning
9. Web design (new)
10. Adobe Photoshop

“After months of momentum in AI building and adoption, December hiring points to a more pragmatic phase,” said Dr. Teng Liu, economist at The Upwork Research Institute. “Demand is concentrated around skills that support coordination, quality control, and reliable execution in everyday operations.”

About the Upwork Monthly Hiring Report

The Upwork Monthly Hiring Report is designed to provide an early signal of broader shifts in how business leaders are hiring in real-time and aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of hiring trends in the U.S. labor market with a focus on the independent talent economy. The report draws from more than 1 million job posts in the U.S. on the Upwork Marketplace annually and a monthly business pulse survey from The Upwork Research Institute. It offers a real-time view of how businesses are hiring in the $1.3 trillion dollar contingent digital knowledge work market.

Methodology and sources

Upwork Marketplace data reflects month-over-month (MoM) changes based on new contract activity in the U.S. from December 1–31, 2025, compared with November 1–30, 2025. High-value work is defined as contracts of at least $1,000. Top freelance skills are based on new contract activity in the U.S. from December 1–31, 2025. Client size data are based on self-reported and/or estimated information and may be subject to revision.

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¹December Business Pulse Survey from the Upwork Research Institute.

²Upwork Marketplace data reflecting top freelance skills hired for based on new contract activity in the U.S. from December 1-31, 2025.