Upwork (UPWK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.3 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -47.83%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this online freelance marketplace operator would post earnings of $0.25 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.21, delivering a surprise of -16%.Over the last four qua ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In 2025, the company achieved over $4 billion in Gross Services Volume (GSV), $788 million in revenue, and $226 million in adjusted EBITDA, marking record levels for both revenue and adjusted EBITDA with revenue growth of 2.4% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 29% [7][20] - Q4 saw year-over-year growth of 3% in GSV, 4% in revenue, and a 27% adjusted EBITDA margin [7][20] - Average GSV per active client increased by 7% year-over-year in Q4 to over $5,100, while overall spend per contract rose by 10% year-over-year [21][22] - The churn rate declined in 2025, reaching its lowest level in over eight quarters in Q4, which was over 130 basis points lower than Q4 2024 [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Business Plus solution for SMBs grew active clients by 49% sequentially in Q4, with 38% of these clients being new to the platform [12][22] - Revenue from Freelancer Plus grew by 29% year-over-year, contributing to a total ads and monetization revenue growth of 24% year-over-year [23] - Enterprise revenue decreased by 3% year-over-year in Q4 due to a strategic pause in selling legacy enterprise plans as the company shifted to the new Lifted strategy [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - GSV from AI-related work surpassed $300 million on an annualized basis in Q4, up more than 50% from the prior year, driven by categories like Generative AI and creative production [10][11] - The number of clients engaging in AI work increased over 50% year-over-year, with GSV from these clients exceeding the average spend per client by about three times [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to capitalize on a $1.3 trillion market opportunity by positioning itself as a leader in the AI era, focusing on flexible, skills-based talent [8][19] - The strategy includes enhancing the AI-native marketplace, expanding the Business Plus offering, and ramping up the Lifted platform for enterprise clients [15][18] - The company plans to double GSV from Business Plus to represent over 5% of total annual GSV in 2026 [17] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the growth trajectory for 2026, anticipating GSV growth of 4%-6% and revenue growth of 6%-8% [26][27] - The company expects to see sequential increases in GSV, total take rate, and revenue throughout 2026, particularly in the second half as Lifted completes its integration [27][28] - Management highlighted the importance of human-agent collaboration, indicating that combining human judgment with AI capabilities leads to superior outcomes [81][82] Other Important Information - The company generated a record $223 million in free cash flow in 2025, which will support organic growth initiatives, M&A, and share repurchases [26] - Non-GAAP operating expenses were $107 million in Q4, maintaining a consistent percentage of revenue compared to Q4 2024 [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on 2026 investments and growth contributions - Management indicated that investments in AI features, Business Plus expansion, and Lifted are expected to ramp up throughout 2026, contributing to GSV and revenue growth [34] Question: AI search and recommendation functionality - The company has launched features like Uma Recruiter to enhance client hiring efficiency and is seeing positive impacts from these investments [40] Question: Active client trends and marketing initiatives - Management noted a decrease in churn rates and positive top-of-funnel yields, which are expected to drive active client growth [56] Question: AI talent availability on the platform - The company reported no significant talent gaps in the AI category and is actively working to attract more AI talent through partnerships [58] Question: Enterprise client demand and milestones - Management is focused on acquiring a small number of high-quality enterprise clients to meet growth goals, with a healthy pipeline of interest from existing customers [63][90]

Upwork (NasdaqGS:UPWK) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 09, 2026 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsEric Sheridan - Managing DirectorErica Gessert - CFOGary Fuges - VP of Investor RelationsHayden Brown - President and CEOJohn Byun - SVP of Equity ResearchMatt Condon - Director of Equity ResearchRohit Kulkarni - Managing DirectorRon Josey - Managing DirectorConference Call ParticipantsBernie McTernan - Senior AnalystBrad Erickson - Equity AnalystJosh Chan - Executive Director and Equity Research AnalystMaria Ripp ...

Upwork (NasdaqGS:UPWK) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 09, 2026 05:00 PM ET Speaker11Hello and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Upwork Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. After the speaker's presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. To ask the question during the session, you will need to press star 1 1 on your telephone. You will then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To withdraw your question, pl ...

Upwork Investor Presentation Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this presentation. Neither we nor any other person makes any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information herein. This presentation is made solely for informational purposes. Upwork, the Upwork logo, Lifted, "UmaTM, Upwork's Mindful AI," and other registered or common law trade names, trademarks, or service marks of Upwork appearing in this presentation are the property o ...

(a Delaware corporation) AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS As Amended and Restated on February 3, 2026 Exhibit 3.1 UPWORK INC. UPWORK INC. ( l i ) (a Delaware corporation) AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS TABLE OF CONTENTS | ARTICLE | I: | STOCKHOLDERS | 1 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Section | 1.1: | Annual Meetings | 1 | | Section | 1.2: | Special Meetings | 1 | | Section | 1.3: | Notice of Meetings | 1 | | Section | 1.4: | Adjournments | 1 | | Section | 1.5: | Quorum | 2 | | Section | 1.6: | Organization | 2 | | S ...

Record full-year 2025 revenue of $787.8 million Fourth-quarter revenue of $198.4 million and GAAP net income of $15.6 million Fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $52.9 million or 27% adjusted EBITDA margin Full-year 2025 GAAP net income of $115.4 million and record adjusted EBITDA of $225.6 million or 29% adjusted EBITDA margin PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace, today announced its financial results for the fourth ...

To ensure this doesn’t happen in the future, please enable Javascript and cookies in your browser.If you have an ad-blocker enabled you may be blocked from proceeding. Please disable your ad-blocker and refresh. ...

Hiring data shows AI becoming part of everyday work, while demand for human expertise remains strongPALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Upwork Inc. (Nasdaq: UPWK), the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace, today released its annual In-Demand Skills report, finding that as demand for top AI-enabled skills more than doubled year-over-year, hiring for human expertise remains strong across work categories. Now in its sixth year, the report finds that demand for the most in-demand skill ...

Core Insights - The term "workslop" describes low-quality, incomplete outputs generated by AI, which can lead to significant emotional and reputational impacts among employees [3][6][8] - Nearly 40% of U.S. office workers reported receiving workslop in the past month, with estimates suggesting that over 15% of workplace content qualifies as such [3][2] - The hidden costs of AI slop can undermine productivity, trust, and quality, despite initial gains in output and efficiency [4][8][30] Emotional and Reputational Impact - Over half (53%) of respondents feel annoyed by workslop, while 38% feel confused and 22% feel offended [1] - Approximately 50% of respondents view colleagues who produce workslop as less capable, reliable, and creative [1] AI Slop Characteristics - AI slop includes outputs that appear grammatically correct but lack depth, context, and accuracy, ultimately creating more work than it saves [6][5] - The phenomenon often arises from inadequate understanding of AI tools, lack of oversight, or insufficient subject matter expertise [5][6] Productivity and Burnout - While 77% of executives report productivity gains from AI, 88% of employees who feel productive also report experiencing burnout [9][10] - Many employees struggle with productivity expectations, with nearly two-thirds (65%) indicating difficulties in meeting goals [11] Preventing AI Slop - Organizations should implement standardized review processes for AI outputs to ensure quality and relevance [16][12] - Investing in AI literacy and training is essential for employees to effectively utilize AI tools [19][22] Building a Culture of Feedback - Encouraging open feedback about AI tool usage can help teams improve their collaboration and output quality [23][24] - Regular reviews of AI-assisted projects can foster a culture of continuous improvement [24][25] Utilizing External Expertise - Small and medium-sized businesses may benefit from hiring freelancers to manage AI outputs and maintain quality [26][27] - Demand for freelance services, such as quality assurance and project management, has increased significantly, indicating a need for specialized skills in AI integration [28][29]