Uber, Didi Chuxing, Upwork lead list of largest firms

Mountain View, California — December 14, 2016 — Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions, has released The Gig Economy and Human Cloud: 2016 Update, its most recent and comprehensive research on the human cloud landscape to date. The report estimates global 2015 human cloud revenue to be between $25.6 and $28.6 billion.

Defining the human cloud as “a set of work intermediation models that enable work arrangements of various kinds to be established and completed (including payment of workers) entirely through a digital/online platform,” the report details the relationship between the human cloud and the gig economy and provides global market size estimates, forecasts and key insights. 

The report also defines three categories of human cloud platforms – online staffing platforms, online work services and crowdsourcing – and includes lists of firms by category. Additionally, the report ranks the top 43 companies by human cloud revenue globally, covering those companies generating at least $25 million in 2015.

The 5 largest human cloud companies:

Geographically, the USA and China have the highest number of human cloud platforms respectively, with human cloud platforms present in at least 30 countries worldwide. The UK, Canada and Australia are the next largest by number of human cloud companies.

“It’s really exciting to see businesses and consumers starting to embrace alternative work models made possible by new digital work intermediaries,” said David Francis, Research Analyst at SIA. “The earliest human cloud companies have been around for more than a decade. However, the rate of adoption and innovation in the human cloud is accelerating, which is reflected in the global revenue growth of the human cloud, as well as by increased worker participation and client adoption. Staffing firms, human resource and procurement leaders, investors and regulatory agencies need to take note and stay abreast of changes in this dynamic and growing part of the global workforce.”

SIA will facilitate a further in-depth look into the human cloud, with a number of the leading brands in this dynamic segment addressing their businesses, their strategies and the implications for the future of the staffing industry in sessions taking place February 15, 2017 during SIA’s Executive Forum in San Diego.

The Gig Economy and Human Cloud: 2016 Update is available for SIA’s Corporate and CWS Council Members.

About Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

SIA is the Global Advisor on Staffing and Workforce Solutions
Elevating the Workforce Solutions Ecosystem
Founded in 1989, SIA is the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. Our proprietary research covers all categories of employed and non-employed work including temporary staffing, independent contracting and other types of contingent labor. SIA’s independent and objective analysis provides insights into the services and suppliers operating in the workforce solutions ecosystem including staffing firms, managed service providers, recruitment process outsourcers, payrolling/compliance firms and talent acquisition technology specialists such as vendor management systems, online staffing platforms, crowdsourcing and online work services. We also provide training and accreditation with our unique Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP) program.

Known for our award-winning content, data, support tools, publications, executive conferences and events, we help both suppliers and buyers of workforce solutions make better-informed decisions that improve business results and minimize risk. As a division of the international business media company, Crain Communications Inc., SIA is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in London, England.

Media Contact
Jennifer Arcuni, Communications Director, Staffing Industry Analysts
jarcuni@staffingindustry.com, +1 650-390-6171 |  www.staffingindustry.com