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05a26c06
Community Member

Labor inclusion through a job on Upwork

Hi everybody,

 

my name is Julia, and I’m relatively new here on this site. I registered here because I’m looking for a job for my friend Daniel, with which he can earn a little extra money for his living and at the same time be included in the labor market.

 

Daniel unfortunately is unable to speak due to a stroke he had a year ago, so it is very difficult for him to find a “normal” job. Nevertheless, he is very clever and can still read and write, but it takes him longer to do certain tasks since then. So I thought that on Upwork it might be a good option for him to work a bit occasionally.

 

In my search, I came across few jobs that would specifically fit with his limitations. I’m concerned that he could be a bit too slow in completing the tasks and therefore unsuitable for most of the jobs here. I generally have the feeling that there are very few job offers for socially disadvantaged people on the platform. 

 

Is it just me with this opinion?

 

And are there any actions planned by Upwork in 2021 to make job offers and the platform in general more socially inclusive?

 

Thanks for any help, and I'm looking forward to reading your replies!

Julia

 

 



3 REPLIES 3
petra_r
Community Member

You'll have to get your friend to create a profile and try for himself. That said, Upwork is fiercely competitive and literally drowning in freelancers at this time (it was overcrowded before COVID, now it's flooded). The majority (over 80%) of new freelancers never earn a single Dollar. 

 

In general, unless your friend is very skilled in an in demand niche and has very good soft skills (winning a contract is at least half due to how well a proposal is written and how well the freelancer sells themselves), this may not be the best place for him, simply because of competition.

I agree with Petra.  This is a highly competitive atmosphere and many skills, like data entry, are not only over-saturated with freelancers but often have tight deadlines.  Are there no agencies where your friend lives to help him find part time work?  If he doesn't work with a social worker, has he tried the  vocational rehab people in his county/ state to help him get going?  Federal voc-rehab is everywhere in the US and can be quite helpful with no fee.  (My disabled son was able to return to college and they paid his books and transportation and maybe some of his tuition.)

VladimirG
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Julia,

 

Thank you so much for being a good friend and for posting your experience in the Community. I can confirm our team reached out to you and Daniel yesterday with more information and offering further assistance. Please do follow up on the support ticket by using this link while logged into your Upwork account or from the email notification sent to your registered email address. Thank you! 

~ Vladimir
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