Freelancer 9 Survey Data

How has your business changed in the last six months?
The percentage of freelancers losing revenue continues to rise. It was 39% in April 2023, increased to 48% in November 2023, and has now reached 53% in April 2024.

 

What factors are harming freelancers?

Inflation dominates the factors that have harmed linguists in the last six months, affecting more than three out of five respondents (62%). More than half (53%) cite disruptions due to generative AI (like ChatGPT) as a concern, while disruptions due to technology in the industry affect 52% of respondents. Additionally, fluctuating demand for areas of specialty and the small size of language service projects each concern 47% of respondents.

What has been your experience with demand?
The highest-growth services were editing of machine translation (66%), conference interpreting (41%), and over-the-phone or video interpreting (38%).

 

Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

 The survey results indicate a mixed sentiment within participants. While 25% expressed optimism, 39% leaned towards pessimism, and a significant 36% admitted to being unsure about their outlook. These diverse perspectives reflect the complex dynamics and uncertain future of the industry.

 

Confidence score: Translation services

The confidence scores for translation services and editing of machine translation show opposing trendlines from Q3 2020 to Q1 2024. The demand for machine translation editing is on an upward trend, with scores rising from 0.09 in Q3 2020 to 0.52 in Q1 2024. In contrast, translation services exhibit a downward trend, with scores falling from -0.08 in Q3 2020 to -0.45 in Q1 2024. This indicates a decreasing demand for human-only translation services over the analyzed period.