Freelancer.com launches in Pakistan amidst internet boom sweeping the nation

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Mar 05, 2013, 08:07 ET

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Freelancer.com, the world's largest online freelancing marketplace, with more than 7 million users, launches Freelancer.pk amidst the internet boom sweeping the nation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120709/NY36516LOGO )

Pakistan boasts over 30 million people connected to the internet, and this number is growing rapidly. The launch of Freelancer.pk will open doors to Pakistan's many self-employed professionals, whose numbers have surged from 33.3% to 39.9% in the last 3 years - a sharp contrast to the dismal 0.2% growth experienced by the traditional employee sector in that time.

The presence of Freelancer.com in Pakistan is expected to provide alternative avenues for Pakistanis to raise their economic status quickly and easily by giving them access to jobs from around the world. Freelancer.com's international site is the 51st most frequently visited website in the country. Pakistan ranks third highest in terms of membership on Freelancer.com, with more than 240,000 members. Membership is made up of both freelancers and employers whose combined earnings amount to a staggering R$1.35 billion.

"The number of Pakistani internet users doubled in the last five years," observes Evan Tan, Freelancer.com's Regional Director for Asia. "And with the rapid growth of self-employment in Pakistan, this is a great time for members of the site to take advantage of the ongoing digitization trend that has been changing the landscape of the global marketplace."

Freelancer.com is an exceptional tool for self-employed Pakistani business people looking to find unique and flexible talent online, from countries such as Kenya, Romania, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, and even the United States.

Skilled Pakistani freelancers also benefit from the exposure to the international jobs market that Freelancer.com provides, making high-paying jobs from countries such as the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia available to them.

Many Freelancer.com users start off freelancing on their own. Then, as they become more wealthy and successful, they end up employing others both on and offline. Syed Saqlain is one such member. In 2009 he left his job to open his own office in Karachi to become a fulltime freelancer. Today, he has 4 employees working with him. "Now I have so many potential clients from all over the world and get many projects on a daily basis," he says. "I feel proud to be a part of Freelancer.com!"

Due to his strong portfolio and glowing reviews, Syed is able to win 2 to 3 projects a day. He is only one of the growing number of Pakistanis who have chosen to take advantage of the opportunities that Freelancer.com represents. With the launch of Freelancer.pk, the company looks to expand its offering to Pakistanis and help them access global jobs and talent.

About Freelancer

Triple Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the largest outsourcing and crowdsourcing marketplace in the world. Freelancer.com connects businesses with over 7 million independent professionals globally, specializing in fields as diverse as software development, writing, marketing, engineering, and the sciences. The average job is under R$20,000, making Freelancer.com extremely cost-effective for small businesses unable to justify the expense of hiring full time.

http://www.freelancer.com

SOURCE Freelancer.com