By Pat Brown, MBA
Losing a job can be stressful, but the internet offers endless opportunities to earn money from home. Whether you need a temporary side income or want to transition into a full-time online career, the gig economy and remote work options can help you stay financially stable.
Below, I’ll cover some of the best ways to make money online while unemployed, with practical steps to get started right away.
1. Freelancing: Sell Your Skills Online
If you have professional skills, freelancing is one of the quickest ways to earn money. Businesses worldwide hire freelancers for tasks such as writing, graphic design, programming, and customer support.
Popular Freelance Platforms:
✅ Upwork – Best for writing, design, programming, and marketing jobs.
✅ Fiverr – Sell services like graphic design, video editing, and voiceovers.
✅ Freelancer – Competitive but offers a wide range of job categories.
✅ PeoplePerHour – Ideal for marketing, writing, and design gigs.
💡 Tip: Set up a strong profile showcasing your skills, add samples of your work, and start applying for jobs today!
2. Remote Customer Service Jobs
Many companies hire remote customer service representatives to handle phone calls, emails, and live chats. These positions often pay $15-$25 per hour and may offer full-time or part-time work.
Where to Find Remote Customer Service Jobs:
📌 Liveops – Flexible call center jobs.
📌 Amazon Jobs – Remote customer support roles.
📌 Arise – Work-from-home call center opportunities.
📌 ModSquad – Online customer support and moderation jobs.
💡 Tip: If you have good communication skills and a reliable internet connection, this can be a great way to earn steady income!
3. Teaching & Tutoring Online
If you have expertise in a subject, you can earn $15-$50 per hour tutoring or teaching online.
Best Websites to Start Teaching Online:
📌 VIPKid – Teach English to children in China (no degree required).
📌 Outschool – Teach any subject (math, art, music, coding).
📌 Chegg Tutors – Help students with homework and test prep.
📌 Preply – Teach languages like English, Spanish, and French.
💡 Tip: If you love helping others learn, online tutoring can be a flexible and rewarding way to earn money!
4. Virtual Assistance: Help Businesses Remotely
Small business owners and entrepreneurs often need help with administrative tasks, such as managing emails, scheduling appointments, and handling social media.
Where to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs:
📌 Belay – Virtual assistant jobs for professionals.
📌 Time Etc – Flexible part-time VA work.
📌 Fancy Hands – Simple task-based virtual assistant jobs.
📌 Boldly – High-paying VA jobs with benefits.
💡 Tip: If you’re organized and detail-oriented, this can be a great full-time or part-time remote career!
5. Remote Data Entry Jobs
If you have fast typing skills and attention to detail, data entry jobs can provide steady income without needing special experience.
Top Data Entry Job Websites:
📌 Clickworker – Micro jobs and data entry tasks.
📌 Amazon Mechanical Turk – Small online tasks (surveys, transcription).
📌 Axion Data Entry Services – Higher-paying data entry jobs.
📌 SigTrack – Work with voter registration data.
💡 Tip: While data entry jobs don’t pay as much as specialized freelancing, they’re great for earning extra cash fast!
6. Selling Handmade or Print-on-Demand Products
If you’re creative, you can sell handmade crafts, print-on-demand items, or digital products online.
Best Platforms to Sell Products Online:
🛍️ Etsy – Handmade crafts, jewelry, art, and digital downloads.
🛍️ Redbubble – Sell artwork on T-shirts, stickers, and mugs.
🛍️ Printful – Print-on-demand custom products.
🛍️ Gumroad – Sell e-books, digital products, and courses.
💡 Tip: If you love creating, selling products online can become a passive income stream over time!
7. Taking Online Surveys & Testing Websites
While online surveys won’t make you rich, they can provide some quick extra cash.
Top Survey & Website Testing Sites:
📌 Swagbucks – Earn money by taking surveys and watching videos.
📌 UserTesting – Get paid to test websites and apps.
📌 Pinecone Research – High-paying surveys.
📌 Survey Junkie – Earn cash for your opinions.
💡 Tip: Combine multiple survey sites to maximize earnings!
8. Become a Social Media Manager
Many small businesses need help managing their social media accounts but don’t have time to do it themselves.
Where to Find Social Media Jobs:
📌 PeoplePerHour – Social media marketing jobs.
📌 We Work Remotely – Remote social media manager jobs.
📌 LinkedIn Jobs – Find remote and freelance gigs.
💡 Tip: If you’re skilled at Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, turn your expertise into a paid opportunity!
Final Thoughts: Start Earning Online Today!
Being unemployed doesn’t mean you have to struggle financially. There are plenty of online opportunities to make money while job hunting or even transition into full-time remote work.
✅ Choose a method that fits your skills
✅ Sign up for freelancing platforms
✅ Start applying for remote jobs today
✅ Stay consistent, and your efforts will pay off!
🚀 Need more help? Visit www.laidofffromwork.com for additional resources on job searching, career development, and financial planning.
