Our Economy Within the Economy

According to this article by The Wall Street Journal a few days ago, there's a freelance economy, and it's on the rise.

Between January and March, employers posted 70,500 of these work-for-hire positions on Elance.com and 43,000 on Odesk.com, which represents increases of 35% and 105%, respectively, from the same period in 2008.  Sologig.com, which lists remote and on-site freelance jobs, says its average monthly postings have more than doubled to around 13,500 per month in the past year.  In March, there were 750 jobs listed on VirtualAssistants.com, versus 400 in March 2008.

[...]

As the recession takes hold, more employers are using freelance workers to avoid the expenses associated with hiring permanent staff, says Fabio Rosati, chief executive officer of Mountain View, Calif.-based Elance.  "The power of online work is that it's immediate, cost-effective and flexible," he says.

Good news for freelancers!  Employers are realizing it's more cost-effective (particularly in this economy) to utilize people like me, who will happily work with them on a project-by-project basis.  Not only do they not have to pay benefits, but it means I can keep working from home!

Reading and the Economy

Nathan Bransford inquired today about his readers' book-buying habits.  He asks:

We live in a tumultuous time all around, with the economy sinking and technology continuing to change habits and proclivities....Have you noticed a change in how you buy books? Do you buy fewer? More? New/used? Do you buy them online or in bookstores? 

I've found I'm a bit pickier about what I purchase than I used to be.  I used to buy whatever I could, and if I didn't like the book, I donated it or gave it to a friend.  Now, however, if there's a book I think I want, I'll pick it up from the library first.  If I like it enough I'll buy it after that.  If not, it goes back to the library and I've learned I don't like that particular book.

My hardcover vs. paperback preferences have not changed.  I've always preferred paperback except for a few cases (Jasper Fforde, for example) both because they cost less and because they're a bit handier to stick in my bag than hardcover books.

What are your reading habits?  Have they changed recently?