Upwork’s October Monthly Hiring Report shows businesses are turning to freelance talent in droves. Seventy-eight percent of companies plan to hire independent workers in the next three months, outpacing demand for full-time knowledge roles.
The trend comes as companies balance AI adoption with workforce reductions, according to Upwork researchers. While layoffs continue across industries, flexible talent is filling critical gaps.
In-demand skills
Customer-facing skills are in high demand ahead of the holidays, up 30% from earlier this year. Businesses cite flexibility and speed to hire as the main reasons they engage freelancers. Data management and mining also saw a 26% increase. As AI becomes part of everyday workflows, human expertise ensures accuracy, accountability and trust. Fifty-five percent of companies plan to hire data analysts and data scientists in the next three months.
Creative work is also surging as companies blend technology and human creativity. Game design and development contracts rose 38%, while the most sought-after skills for flexible talent include AI proficiency, digital marketing, and strategic and creative thinking.
“Freelancers give companies the agility and expertise full-time teams often can’t provide,” wrote an Upwork spokesperson.
For HR leaders, the report signals a prompt to rethink workforce planning, according to Upwork researchers. Flexible, high-skill talent may play a central role in keeping operations agile, supporting AI workflows and driving business outcomes.
HR tech in the news
Adobe research shows employees now spend the equivalent of 21 full workdays a year on mobile, with email as the dominant task. Most workers feel pressure to stay reachable after hours, and Gen Z reports the highest anxiety about mobile work.
UKG announced new AI tools, analytics capabilities, hiring enhancements and recognition features at Aspire 2025. These developments grow UKG’s support for frontline workers and organizations seeking stronger automation and workforce optimization.
Atana, known for its behavior-based learning platform, released Organizational Insights, an AI-supported analytics tool that maps behavioral conditions across teams. Capturing attitudes and intent within training aims to help leaders target actions that improve culture and performance.
Engagement software company Regal announced new investments in voice AI as it forecasts a shift away from chat-based support. Its Voice AI platform aims to deliver more accurate interactions as Gen Z increasingly prefers phone-based service, according to Regal researchers.
CoreTrust, a group purchasing organization, partnered with Healthee, an AI-enabled benefits navigation provider, to help public agencies adopt benefits support. The cooperative contract model aims to cut procurement time and improve employee experience during benefits decisions.
More HR tech updates
Nayya, an AI-driven benefits guidance company, released a report showing 73% of employees already use AI for health, finance and wellness decisions. Many avoid HR due to judgment or privacy concerns, relying instead on neutral tools during open enrollment.
Employ Inc., the parent company behind JazzHR, Lever and Jobvite, introduced the AI Screening Companion to surface qualified candidates, flag disengagement risk and automate feedback. Built on IBM watsonx governance, it provides bias monitoring and AI recommendations for hiring teams.
Brightmine, a global HR and data insights provider, released research showing political tension rising in workplaces. Employees report conflict, anxiety and productivity impacts, while new laws intensify pressure on HR leaders managing culture, compliance and shifting expectations.
EX platform LumApps published its first Future of Work Index. Surveyed leaders in the U.S. and Europe report shifting expectations around culture, leadership and technology as AI adoption accelerates and organizations focus on modernization.
Deloitte released a study showing tech executives increasingly driving strategy, taking on P&L responsibility and aspiring to CEO roles as technology becomes a foundational growth engine inside modern enterprises.
Novorésumé, a popular resume-building platform, launched a free ATS Checker showing applicants how major hiring systems process resumes. Using Textkernel technology, it grades resumes across five categories and offers detailed guidance to help candidates clear automated screening.
HR Executive Top 100 Influencer Johannes Sundlo, alongside Daan van Rossum and his team at FlexOS, launched a four-week Lead with AI Boot Camp: HR Edition. The program helps HR teams spot ROI opportunities, design adoption workflows and create executive-ready AI roadmaps as automation accelerates across organizations.
Justworks, a payroll and HR platform for small businesses, released a report showing “Zillennials” feel heightened stress during open enrollment. Many prefer unpleasant tasks over choosing health coverage, revealing confidence gaps and shifting research habits among younger workers.
Kyndryl, a global IT infrastructure and services company, introduced new change management and design offerings to help organizations prepare for agentic AI. The framework guides workflow redesign, upskilling and adoption so employees can work confidently with emerging AI tools.
HR tech announcements
Compensation intelligence company Payscale added new features to its Payfactors platform. Smart Price uses agentic AI to price jobs more reliably, while Compass helps leaders connect compensation strategy to business outcomes in an evolving labor market.
Recognition and rewards provider Awardco released a Workday-certified data sync that unifies recognition activity with HR records. The integration streamlines program management and improves visibility into engagement across a connected HR ecosystem.
Strada, a global workforce management and payroll solutions firm, partnered with Syndio, a leader in AI-driven pay equity intelligence, to launch a pay transparency solution. It blends advisory services with AI to help employers meet new compliance demands and ensure fairness.
Bites, a microlearning platform for frontline teams, launched AI Studio to help companies create branded training content. The tool turns existing materials into on-brand videos, giving organizations an easy way to deliver recognizable training at scale.
Docusign introduced Template Gallery, offering customizable agreements that help HR teams start documents faster and avoid errors tied to outdated templates or generic AI-generated drafts.
Puerto Rico-based Banco San Juan Internacional launched a digital platform that aims to simplify cross-border payroll. Employers can automate international payments, while workers manage funds through a Visa debit card and digital wallet.
AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing division, released new Skill Builder features, including an AI meeting simulator, collaborative cohort tools and task-based microcredentials. Registration also opened for its generative AI developer certification.
More from HR Executive
NAHR Fellow Peter Cappelli writes that while companies adopt AI, off-the-shelf tools often fall short. Especially when trying to introduce LLMs into white collar work (what he says people mean when they say “agents”), virtually all the work looks like old-fashioned HR, starting with “job analysis.”
As organizations accelerate the adoption of automation in recruitment and operations, a new Korn Ferry report highlights a risk that human resources leaders cannot afford to ignore. The report authors warn of a “pipeline crisis tomorrow,” adding that “your board loves the cost savings today. They’ll hate the leadership crisis it brings on its tail.”
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