As stock market goes down, people are increasingly turning to the freelance jobs market as a source of income.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2009 (Writers.PH) Makati City, Philippines—In this time of mass layoff and salary cutback, people are increasingly turning to the freelance jobs market as a source of income. Writers.PH, a research company based in Makati, Philippines, has seen an increase in its freelance writer membership as the effects of the economic slowdown continue to send ripples globally in the form of sluggish economy and unemployment.

Established in 1997, Writers.PH maintains a network of over 5000 freelancers worldwide and is seen to continue its growth even with the current economic crisis. Several factors can be attributed to the sharp increase in membership of Writers.PH. The company said that with the rising number of white-collar workers being laid off, especially in mass media and education, freelance writing has provided a safety net to provide a source of income to these employees.

"It has never occurred to me that I'd be doing anything aside from writing TV infomercials," said Justine Rose Lorry, a 42-year-old scriptwriter who had been with a television network for 11 years. "A career in the media used to last a lifetime. It did for my father and his contemporaries. I thought it would be the same for me. But when I lost my job I got to try something else."

After losing her job, Lorry set up her own business online. She also came across online writing jobs and is now a "full-time" part-timer at Writers.PH. "Freelance writing has been perfect for me. I have more time for my family since I can work from home and any time I can. Plus, it means less expense for our household. There is not a lot of equipment to buy, not a lot of preparation to do. I like the idea that everything, from jobs acquisition to payment, is done online in this industry."

For Lorry and hundreds of freelancers in the Writers.PH network, the company website has been their one-stop shop for their writing concerns and other issues. Writers.PH provides them with a 24/7 LiveChat support team to help facilitate the client-to-writer communications. It means less work for the writer, because they are left with just the writing tasks to do and without the usually contentious process of project transactions.

The group also provides certification opportunities for freelance writers. "It is a nice opportunity to make your self better," said Lorry. "It's a buyer's market out there. With better credentials, you get to have more opportunities to make good money."

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ABOUT: Writers.PH is a research company in the Philippines that specializes on legal consulting, case studies, translation, literature/business reviews and writing. Established in 1997, the company maintains a network of over 5000 freelancers worldwide.

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