Upwork Releases 2026 In-Demand Skills Report Highlighting AI Growth
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 4d ago
0mins
Should l Buy UPWK?
Source: Newsfilter
- Surge in AI Skill Demand: The 2026 Upwork report reveals a 109% year-over-year increase in demand for AI-related skills, with AI video generation and editing skyrocketing by 329%, indicating that businesses are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and innovation in traditional fields.
- Human Expertise Remains Valued: Despite the expansion of AI tools, companies continue to hire human talent at scale, particularly in areas like full stack development, data analytics, and graphic design, underscoring the enduring importance of human creativity and judgment.
- Rise in Flexible Talent Needs: 77% of business leaders report that AI is increasing their demand for specialized, fractional talent, suggesting a shift in workforce structure towards more flexible and specialized roles as companies adapt to new technological landscapes.
- Efficiency Boost from Human-AI Collaboration: Upwork's research indicates that human-AI collaboration can enhance project completion rates by up to 70%, reflecting not only AI's supportive role in work but also emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of human input in complex tasks.
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Analyst Views on UPWK
Wall Street analysts forecast UPWK stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for UPWK is 23.33 USD with a low forecast of 17.00 USD and a high forecast of 28.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
10 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 17.820
Low
17.00
Averages
23.33
High
28.00
Current: 17.820
Low
17.00
Averages
23.33
High
28.00
About UPWK
Upwork Inc. operates a working marketplace, which connects businesses with independent talent. The Company's independent talent refers to the talent that includes independent professionals and agencies of varying sizes. The Company’s marketplace offerings are designed for clients looking to identify hiring. Its marketplace offerings provide clients with access to independent talent with verified work history on its work marketplace, as well as client feedback. They also receive perks, such as a verified client badge and highlighted job posts. Upwork Payroll is available to clients when they choose to work with talent that they engage through Upwork as employees. With Upwork Payroll, clients have access to third-party staffing providers to employ talent and meet their talent needs through its work marketplace. It offers two lines of service: managed services and enterprise solutions. Its managed services offer a service-led program management and full project lifecycle solution.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Upwork Set to Announce Q4 Earnings on February 9th
- Earnings Announcement: Upwork (UPWK) is set to release its Q4 2023 earnings on February 9th after market close, with consensus EPS estimated at $0.31, reflecting a 3.3% year-over-year increase, and revenue expected at $197.52 million, up 3.1%, indicating solid growth performance.
- Strong Historical Performance: UPWK has beaten both EPS and revenue estimates 100% of the time over the past two years, showcasing the company's reliability in financial performance and management execution, which boosts investor confidence.
- Positive Estimate Revisions: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen eight upward revisions with no downward adjustments, while revenue estimates have experienced eleven upward revisions, indicating analysts' optimistic outlook on the company's future performance and potential market demand growth.
- Enhanced Market Position: Upwork has been added to ClearBridge Small Cap Strategy's portfolio while exiting Alexander & Baldwin, highlighting its increasing attractiveness among small-cap stocks, and is set to join the S&P SmallCap 600 index, further enhancing its market recognition.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Next Week's Market Focus: Super Bowl and Earnings Reports
- Super Bowl Event: This Sunday, the Patriots will face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, expected to attract a large audience and boost related advertising revenues, further solidifying the significance of sporting events in the market.
- Earnings Season Arrives: Companies like Coinbase, Ford, McDonald's, and Moderna will report earnings next week, with analysts focusing on McDonald's same-store sales, which are expected to rise due to promotional activities, reflecting consumer demand for value products.
- Economic Data Release: The delayed January jobs report will be released on Wednesday, with economists forecasting the addition of 70,000 jobs in the U.S., providing the market with the latest dynamics on the labor market.
- Inflation Indicator Focus: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released on Friday, with the market closely monitoring this key indicator's impact on future economic outlook and Federal Reserve policy, potentially influencing interest rate decisions.
See More
Upwork Releases 2026 In-Demand Skills Report Highlighting AI Growth
- Surge in AI Skill Demand: The 2026 Upwork report reveals a 109% year-over-year increase in demand for AI-related skills, with AI video generation and editing skyrocketing by 329%, indicating that businesses are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and innovation in traditional fields.
- Human Expertise Remains Valued: Despite the expansion of AI tools, companies continue to hire human talent at scale, particularly in areas like full stack development, data analytics, and graphic design, underscoring the enduring importance of human creativity and judgment.
- Rise in Flexible Talent Needs: 77% of business leaders report that AI is increasing their demand for specialized, fractional talent, suggesting a shift in workforce structure towards more flexible and specialized roles as companies adapt to new technological landscapes.
- Efficiency Boost from Human-AI Collaboration: Upwork's research indicates that human-AI collaboration can enhance project completion rates by up to 70%, reflecting not only AI's supportive role in work but also emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of human input in complex tasks.
See More
Upwork Reports 19% Rise in Human Resource Demand to Address AI Challenges
- Rising Human Resource Demand: Upwork's report indicates a 19% month-over-month increase in demand for quality assurance testing, as businesses enhance human resources to boost confidence in digital and AI systems, thereby ensuring product quality and market competitiveness.
- Surge in AI Skill Demand: Demand for AI and machine learning-related roles grew by 16%, highlighting that as companies rapidly adopt AI, they recognize the need for more human expertise to train and validate these systems, addressing operational gaps.
- Creative Skills Demand Soars: Language tutoring and interpretation needs surged by 48%, as businesses increasingly prioritize human-centered communication and creativity in projects to enhance originality and contextual relevance in work outputs.
- Holiday Season Hiring Continues: With the holiday season approaching, hiring demand in e-commerce development and marketing remains strong, with 40% of businesses planning to hire independent digital marketing professionals in the next three months to support sales and brand strategies.
See More
Sandisk Replaces Interpublic in S&P 500 Index
- Index Changes: Sandisk Corp. will replace Interpublic Group in the S&P 500 on November 28, 2025, highlighting its growing significance and likely attracting increased investor attention.
- Acquisition Activity: Omnicom Group is acquiring Interpublic Group, with the deal expected to close soon, which may influence market perceptions and investment strategies in the advertising sector.
- Small Cap Adjustments: PTC Therapeutics will replace Sandisk in the S&P SmallCap 600, reflecting ongoing investor interest in the biotechnology sector and favoring emerging companies.
- Industry Restructuring: Upwork will replace Premier in the S&P SmallCap 600, indicating market recognition of flexible employment platforms and potentially driving further growth in related industries.
See More
Upwork Set to Announce Q4 Earnings on February 9th
- Earnings Announcement: Upwork (UPWK) is set to release its Q4 2023 earnings on February 9th after market close, with consensus EPS estimated at $0.31, reflecting a 3.3% year-over-year increase, and revenue expected at $197.52 million, up 3.1%, indicating solid growth performance.
- Strong Historical Performance: UPWK has beaten both EPS and revenue estimates 100% of the time over the past two years, showcasing the company's reliability in financial performance and management execution, which boosts investor confidence.
- Positive Estimate Revisions: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen eight upward revisions with no downward adjustments, while revenue estimates have experienced eleven upward revisions, indicating analysts' optimistic outlook on the company's future performance and potential market demand growth.
- Enhanced Market Position: Upwork has been added to ClearBridge Small Cap Strategy's portfolio while exiting Alexander & Baldwin, highlighting its increasing attractiveness among small-cap stocks, and is set to join the S&P SmallCap 600 index, further enhancing its market recognition.
See More
Key Earnings Reports and Economic Outlook This Week
- DuPont Earnings Expectations: DuPont is expected to report earnings of $0.43 per share and revenue of $1.69 billion for Q4 2025, with analysts noting ongoing pressure in short-cycle businesses, while slight improvements in the automotive sector may influence investor sentiment.
- Cisco's AI Focus: Cisco anticipates earnings of $1.02 per share and revenue of $15.1 billion for Q2 FY2026, with CEO highlighting a major multi-year campus networking refresh, making AI infrastructure demand a critical growth driver.
- Importance of Employment Report: The January employment report is expected to show an addition of 80,000 nonfarm payrolls and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.4%, directly impacting private consumption and U.S. GDP, making it crucial for investors to monitor.
- Consumer Price Index Insights: The January CPI is projected to increase by 2.5% year-over-year, with core CPI rising by 2.6%, providing essential inflation details despite not being the Fed's preferred measure, particularly regarding persistent shelter cost inflation.
See More
Next Week's Market Focus: Super Bowl and Earnings Reports
- Super Bowl Event: This Sunday, the Patriots will face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, expected to attract a large audience and boost related advertising revenues, further solidifying the significance of sporting events in the market.
- Earnings Season Arrives: Companies like Coinbase, Ford, McDonald's, and Moderna will report earnings next week, with analysts focusing on McDonald's same-store sales, which are expected to rise due to promotional activities, reflecting consumer demand for value products.
- Economic Data Release: The delayed January jobs report will be released on Wednesday, with economists forecasting the addition of 70,000 jobs in the U.S., providing the market with the latest dynamics on the labor market.
- Inflation Indicator Focus: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be released on Friday, with the market closely monitoring this key indicator's impact on future economic outlook and Federal Reserve policy, potentially influencing interest rate decisions.
See More
Upwork Releases 2026 In-Demand Skills Report Highlighting AI Growth
- Surge in AI Skill Demand: The 2026 Upwork report reveals a 109% year-over-year increase in demand for AI-related skills, with AI video generation and editing skyrocketing by 329%, indicating that businesses are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and innovation in traditional fields.
- Human Expertise Remains Valued: Despite the expansion of AI tools, companies continue to hire human talent at scale, particularly in areas like full stack development, data analytics, and graphic design, underscoring the enduring importance of human creativity and judgment.
- Rise in Flexible Talent Needs: 77% of business leaders report that AI is increasing their demand for specialized, fractional talent, suggesting a shift in workforce structure towards more flexible and specialized roles as companies adapt to new technological landscapes.
- Efficiency Boost from Human-AI Collaboration: Upwork's research indicates that human-AI collaboration can enhance project completion rates by up to 70%, reflecting not only AI's supportive role in work but also emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of human input in complex tasks.
See More
Upwork Reports 19% Rise in Human Resource Demand to Address AI Challenges
- Rising Human Resource Demand: Upwork's report indicates a 19% month-over-month increase in demand for quality assurance testing, as businesses enhance human resources to boost confidence in digital and AI systems, thereby ensuring product quality and market competitiveness.
- Surge in AI Skill Demand: Demand for AI and machine learning-related roles grew by 16%, highlighting that as companies rapidly adopt AI, they recognize the need for more human expertise to train and validate these systems, addressing operational gaps.
- Creative Skills Demand Soars: Language tutoring and interpretation needs surged by 48%, as businesses increasingly prioritize human-centered communication and creativity in projects to enhance originality and contextual relevance in work outputs.
- Holiday Season Hiring Continues: With the holiday season approaching, hiring demand in e-commerce development and marketing remains strong, with 40% of businesses planning to hire independent digital marketing professionals in the next three months to support sales and brand strategies.
See More
Sandisk Replaces Interpublic in S&P 500 Index
- Index Changes: Sandisk Corp. will replace Interpublic Group in the S&P 500 on November 28, 2025, highlighting its growing significance and likely attracting increased investor attention.
- Acquisition Activity: Omnicom Group is acquiring Interpublic Group, with the deal expected to close soon, which may influence market perceptions and investment strategies in the advertising sector.
- Small Cap Adjustments: PTC Therapeutics will replace Sandisk in the S&P SmallCap 600, reflecting ongoing investor interest in the biotechnology sector and favoring emerging companies.
- Industry Restructuring: Upwork will replace Premier in the S&P SmallCap 600, indicating market recognition of flexible employment platforms and potentially driving further growth in related industries.
See More
