Here's How Women Can Earn an Income During the Recession

While plenty of people have found themselves out of a job due to the pandemic, women are disproportionately affected. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom who now needs to start working or an out-of-work ex-employee who struggles to make ends meet, you have options. Read on to find out how the recession is affecting women and how to help yourself get ahead.

The Bad News: Unemployment Rates Are High

During the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment has skyrocketed, hitting 14.7 percent in April. Future figures are tough to estimate, given the ongoing changes to the economy. Fortunately, despite high unemployment and economic uncertainty, there are solutions if you've found yourself out of work recently.

The Good News: Innovative Employment Options Are on the Rise

Because of the coronavirus shutdown, many roles have transitioned to work-from-home gigs. However, if you're not fortunate enough to transfer seamlessly into telecommuting, there are countless other employment options. You can do one or more of these types of jobs from home.

Become a freelance medical writer. If you have a background in science, a medical writer job may be perfect for you. Freelance medical writing jobs have varying hiring requirements, and you could work for a medical office or with a contract research organization. Like other freelance careers, networking and showcasing your talents are essential parts of building a career.

Begin a career as a virtual assistant. Virtual assisting is an administrative job you can do from anywhere, and even entry-level workers can find well-paying gigs. You do need to be prepared to embark on this career, however, and take it seriously to do well.

Start freelancing as a writer or blogger. Starting out as a freelance writer requires building the right connections and honing your skills. But many freelance writers start out with no formal degree and very little experience. You can start blogging, apply for writing gigs, and see what happens-all without leaving home. Plus, no matter your area of expertise, there's a writing job that will benefit from your knowledge.

Whatever types of freelance opportunities you're looking for, look to Udreamjob to find freelance work that can be performed remotely. Review their catalog of options to find the right fit for you.

Why Freelance?

Freelancing may not be ideal for everyone, but it may be the best career move during the recession. Of course, there are both positives and negatives to going the freelance route.

Benefits of Freelancing

Freelancing can be flexible, lucrative, and even rewarding on a personal level.

Women who find themselves out of work will likely need flexibility with their work schedules, especially if they're also parents. Unfortunately, many traditional jobs penalize women for requesting flexible schedules. Freelancing allows you to only agree to jobs that work with your schedule. Plus, you can scale your freelance work from part-time to full-time, too.

Depending on how much time you have and your income goals, you can also work more for extra cash. In short, you can make more money when and if you need it.

Potential Drawbacks of Freelancing

One specific drawback of working as a freelancer is that you're not officially an employee of the company you work for. Instead, you're a contractor who is hired on a limited basis. That means you won't have the typical employer-employee relationship. You'll also need to handle your own taxes when you're self-employed since the company won't do it for you.

Working to maintain an income during a recession can be challenging. However, by embracing the opportunity to work from home, you can find new ventures that will prove both gratifying and profitable. By working on your own, you can create the ideal workday that fits your needs - through the recession and beyond.

Sarah Bull
Economymom.com
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