Most rates have been very low lately, anyone else notice this?

[#1]

I find that even US contracts are offering lower than minimum wage and I'm seeing more low rates lately? Has anyone else noticed this trend, and is there something Upwork can do to provide a minimum wage on the platform? $3-6/hr isn't a living wage for a remote worker from the US, nor is $250-500 for full time work, 6-days a week....

[#2]

What type of work are you offering  - your profile is private.

I am noticing Clients gaming the price range to ellicit responses from high-rate, US-Only, freelancers, e.g. $20-$125. You often find that their avg hourly rates are in the $10-20 range.   And, I don't think many/most of them are in the US. 

The world is broken!

[#3]

There are less high-rate jobs i think that's true. When there's free money people are chasing growth. More entrepreneurial personas post jobs, they will pay premium to get the best or to get it fast. When theres less money around or there's a negative outlook for the future people purchase to keep the lights on, more middle managers hiring and when they do they don't have much hurry, they'll probably only do it if they can get it cheap. 

All these being said, if you have something unique to offer, don't let the market average discourage you. Don't drop your prices, rather use your spare time to get ready for the next big wave. 

[#4]

Seeing what a potential client has paid freelancers in the past is one of my main criteria when determining if I'll send a proposal. A client who has paid $3.00 average wage probably isn't going to suddenly open up their wallet and pay my rates, so I just move on.

[#5]

In my experience they will pay premium if this is a short term job that will fix some of their struggles. They are more reluctant to pay premium if this is a long term and low impact job. Your example is extreme, if clients average spend is 3-5 an hour i won't apply. If average is 25 they'll happily pay 150/h for short term high impact

[#6]

I'm definitely glad that you've had a different experience than I have!  The clients who pay a pittance to their freelancers may be willing to hire me for a short term, high impact job, but there's a much higher chance that they will be extremely cheap,  difficult to work with, and generally wanting top shelf legal work done at fortified wine prices.

Maybe I'm just extra picky regarding which clients I work with, but if you've paid crap wages across the board to all your freelancers, I don't have a lot of desire to work with you.  It all just comes down to what works for each freelancer individually, and there's no right or wrong answer.

[#7]

Are these US jobs also limited to US freelancers? People in the US use this platform to hire people in places with lower cost of living for cheap all of the time. These jobs probably aren't targeting freelancers from the US.