Consumer inflation is forcing increasing numbers of people to seek second income, says online marketplace for services PeoplePerHour.com.

Last month the Bank of England reported that escalating food and fuel prices have pushed inflation above 3%, forcing thousands of individuals across the UK to find ways to supplement their household income.

PeoplePerHour.com – the online marketplace for services – has reported rapidly rising registrations from people who are in full-time employment but need to generate extra cash by offering freelance services in their spare time.

35% of PeoplePerHour.com’s 7000+ freelance service providers have full-time jobs – a figure that’s rising monthly. People are using the website to market a wide range of professional skills such as graphic design, software programming and marketing. On average, a skilled professional can expect to earn upwards of £250 per month with just a few hours’ work sourced through the site.

“The current economic conditions have contributed immeasurably to the burgeoning popularity of sites like ours,” says PeoplePerHour.com founder Xenios Thrasyvoulou. “On regular salaries skilled professionals are struggling to make ends meet. It’s little wonder increasing numbers of them are harnessing their experience and skills to offer freelance services outside office hours.”

Uncertainty about the economy has resulted in a fertile market for this growing bank of UK freelancers. Business owners are increasingly preferring to outsource projects to remote freelancers, which is cost-effective and minimises the risk associated with making permanent appointments. PeoplePerHour.com’s buyer feedback system means it’s also very reliable – businesses can engage the services of freelancers based on other buyers’ recommendations.

“Inflation has effectively increased both the supply of and demand for freelancers,” says Thrasyvoulou. “PeoplePerHour.com is providing a medium through which these market forces are expressed.”