Top freelance skills show rapid change in 2018, Blockchain is out and Dropbox API is in

Freelancing service Upwork has published the quarterly Upwork Skills Index for Q3 2018, showing dramatic change in the most demanded skills from tech freelancers.

The tech sector is no stranger to rapid change, with hundreds of companies trying to stay ahead of emerging technologies and trends to avoid being left behind by the next big digital revolution. In this chaotic industry, many companies have turned to freelancers to bring on board specific expertise and fill knowledge and skill gaps their organisation has.

Freelancing website Upwork is a global leader in connecting companies with remote workers to suit their needs, with an active base over 375,000 skilled freelancers around the world. The company has just released its Upwork Skills Index for the third quarter of 2018, and the report indicates a seismic shift in the popular skills companies are hiring freelancers for.

The fastest-growing new skills include Dropbox API, Equity Research, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Iphone UI design has seen a major uptick likely due to the new iPhone release, and Genetic Algorithms skills have been in demand by companies in the deep learning field.

Silicon Republic has an interesting piece putting the report in context, showing that previously popular skills such as Blockchain have fallen out of the top 20 skills list and referencing a previous report showing that 75% of Irish tech workers wouldn't consider a career in blockchain.

Source: Upwork blog, via Silicon Republic