As the employment numbers in 2011 continue to be a cause for concern, hiring for online jobs has increased by 100 percent since 2010. The industry’s leading company for online jobs, Elance, released its 2011 Online Employment Review. The review shows that the future of employment will be global, contingent, and online. Individuals are taking a step in the right direction these days as they work as independent professionals, which could help them acquire a big-time job down the road, according to MarketWatch.

Work on the internet thrived in 2011 even though economies across the world struggled to create jobs. 650,000 brand new jobs were posted online, with cumulative earnings expected to pass $500 million. In 2011, the number of companies hiring workers on Elance and the number of workers using Elance grew by over 120 percent. Across the world, the earnings for online employees increased in 100 countries. In 43 of 50 states in the United States, online employee earnings also rose. The increase even happened in some of the states that struggled the most with traditional employment such as Nevada, Michigan, and South Carolina.

“This year’s job numbers suggest a structural change in traditional employment, as more businesses are adopting online and contingent work as a core business strategy,” said Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance, according to MarketWatch. “Fueled by technology, work is no longer confined to the 9-5 and the office. Knowledge workers are building independent careers by working online with multiple clients, from their home, from public spaces or from co-located offices. The ability to gain instant access to qualified talent with in-demand skills regardless of location is a global trend that is starting to change the way businesses and people work.”

As companies continue to struggle with the economy, quite a few businesses are blending various models. Those blends include local and remote workers, full and part-time workers, and contract workers. Elance surveyed a large number of small businesses, with 83 percent of them planning to hire close to 50 percent of their workforce as internet contractors over the next year.

Elance is used by thousands of people in the United States to create independent careers while also reinventing their careers along the way. The survey conducted by Elance, which also spoke with workers, shows that one in three workers began freelance work because they wanted to be their own boss. The other reason was that they wanted to be able to choose the projects they love to complete. The most popular benefit of online work was the ability to set a schedule on their own. Other benefits include the ability to follow a passion and the chance to get rid of the commute to and from the office. Some of the skills needed for online jobs this year included software skills, internet marketing skills, and support and data entry.