Despite slow labor market growth in other fields, new data suggest there is no dip in demand for online professionals.

According to the figures from Elance, employment of individuals such as those seeking IT jobs in the US remains high, with people skilled in areas such as mobile applications, e-commerce and illustration particularly sought.

In its report, the firm claimed that around 600,000 online roles are posted annually, with demand climbing by 61 per cent year-on-year and web contractors' earnings rising from $30.7 million to $34.3 million in the past quarter.

The California-based organization also noted that companies of all sizes are hiring experts in the field, with a 23 per cent rise in one quarter in those working on the internet.

Elance chief executive Fabio Rosati remarked: "Companies are gaining agility by hiring in the cloud and working with contractors anywhere at any time."

Figures published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for July indicated there were 117,000 new non-farm payroll positions created in the US over the month from June.

Posted by Fiona Summers