LinkedIn, the largest professional networking platform, has launched a new feature – Service Marketplace, where freelancers can access new job opportunities, similar to services like Fiverr and Upwork. This feature will allow freelancers on the LinkedIn network to connect with potential clients for jobs.
Insight
According to ITPro, Service Marketplace, which before now was only available in beta to select LinkedIn users in the United States, is now accessible to freelancers around the world. The role allows users to find freelancers or service providers across a wide variety of 250 job categories, with opportunities ranging from accounting and consulting to information technology and software development.
In the US, where Service Marketplace was first trialled and rolled out, the pandemic fuelled the popularity of the gig economy, with the growth of temporary contracts attributed to the mass shift to remote working. In April 2021, the US saw a 25% increase in the number of gigs completed per day, raising questions about the sustainability of the type of work post-pandemic.
Freelancers and project providers can be found through the search function or by browsing the project categories, with all the projects described in the Details section. If interested, freelancers and project providers can communicate via messages to get more information about the job, and upon completion, they can rate each other through a five-star system. Service Marketplace builds on the existing ProFinder tool on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn had earlier in the month shut down its services in China after nearly seven years. LinkedIn had said that despite finding success in helping Chinese members find jobs and economic opportunities, success was not found in the more social aspects of sharing and staying informed as the company has been facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China. Hence, it would replace the platform later this year with a new, standalone jobs application for China called InJobs, which will not include a social feed or the ability to share posts or articles.