If you’ve noticed a dramatic shake-up in marketing over the last two years, you’re not mistaken. New research released by Fiverr has revealed a staggering 85 percent of marketing leaders surveyed had conducted layoffs since the start of 2022. And freelancers are being relied on to pick up the slack, with the majority of marketing teams using more freelancers this year compared to years past.

The research was conducted by Censuswide, using 502 leaders and 1009 professionals across marketing, advertising, brand, growth, PR and communications, and SEO in the US, revealing key industry insights.

Marketing leaders slash full-time workforce in favour of freelancers

Amid economic volatility and the rising cost of living, 85 percent of marketing leaders surveyed had conducted layoffs since the start of 2022. This had led to the loss of key skilled positions, with ‘Marketing Manager’ hit the hardest at 37 percent, followed by Digital Marketing (31 percent), and Market Research (30 percent).

Freelancers are being relied on to address these losses. Of the marketing leaders who conducted layoffs, 83 percent turned to freelancers for specific expertise that was lost.

This shift is being felt across the industry: 80 percent of marketing leaders know of marketing professionals who have become freelancers as a result of either layoffs or return-to-office policies.

“The unpredictability of the US economy has forced many marketing leaders to lay off full-time workers, which has left entire teams with missing roles that impact productivity,” says general manager of Fiverr Pro, Shai-Lee Spigelman.

“As these leaders look to stabilise their business and fill those gaps, we’re seeing freelancers as a solution that positively benefits the entire team — providing support to full-time employees, bringing in new ideas, and maintaining strong business momentum.”

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