The 2018 Freelancing in America report, commissioned by Upwork and the Freelancers Union, highlights the growth of the U.S. freelance workforce to 56.7 million, marking an increase of 3.7 million since 2014. The study indicates that freelancers prioritize skill-related training over traditional education, actively updating their skills and benefiting from the flexibility freelancing offers for personal circumstances. Additionally, freelancers display higher political engagement and optimism about their future in the workforce compared to their non-freelance counterparts.