Outsourcing is not always a dirty word

There's a new trend in outsourcing, and it's not overseas. One of the fastest growing destinations for outsourced jobs is right here in the United States, reports Business Week.

ODesk, a company that connects people in need of skilled temporary workers, said the number of projects handled by freelance contractors in the United States has risen threefold over the past 12 months.

The United States ranks third on oDesk's list of where work is being outsourced. And the number of hours worked in the United States is growing at more than 200 percent a year. Some of the outsourcing work is coming to the United States from the United Kingdom, Canada and Spain, the magazine reports.

It is hard to say if this is a long-term trend or a blip on the screen, but it may be that firms have become smarter about dealing with short projects and figuring out how to keep labor costs down.

There are several reasons for this new development including the ease with which companies can assemble and manage remote teams of workers. It may be cost effective, too, reports Business Week. The salary differentials between some outsourcing destinations, such as India, are now smaller than one might have thought, according to oDesk.

Many small- and medium-sized businesses regularly need tech help to build websites and databases, install software or help with a myriad of other web-based chores. They don't have the money to employ a permanent tech team and find it easier to bring in freelancers as needed. Business Week calls this "small sourcing."

For more on outsourcing in the United States:
- check out this Business Week article

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