At the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester, TypeWell polled active transcribers to gauge how much work they were assigned, what kinds of work they were assigned, and how they felt about it.

Update: Our Spring 2024 survey is now up. TypeWell transcribers are encouraged to respond before May 31, 2024.

Remote vs. on-site work

Most TypeWell transcribers were working remotely, and more than half of them were still exclusively remote. Less than one in five were on-site only.

Changes in workload: Spring 2023 to Fall 2023

Most transcribers were receiving about as much work as they desired (or more), but a third of them were receiving fewer opportunities.

How do transcribers feel about the future of transcription work? Almost a quarter of them were optimistic, but the rest of them were evenly divided on whether they are satisfied with current trends, or concerned.

When transcribers indicated that they were receiving less work, we asked them: “What do you believe has influenced this change in your volume of work?” Most of them weren’t sure why, but they had some ideas:

• 21% of them suspected an increase in the use of AI generated captions.
• 19% thought that a decrease in college enrollment or demand for captioning services were to blame.  

To a lesser extent, transcribers believed that major industry trends, like an increase in hiring, company mergers, or an overall return to in-person classes had decreased the demand for remote work.

A few transcribers voiced concerns about competition between transcribers, “first come, first served” scheduling practices, or just bad luck—like an unusual number of students who dropped classes.

TypeWell and STEM classes

A third of transcribers believed there were more requests for STEM classes this semester. 

Most (82%) saw no changes in demand for any other type of class.

When transcribers indicated that they were seeing more requests for STEM classes, we asked them: Why the increased demand for transcription services in STEM classes?

• 38% believed that the increase for TypeWell services in STEM is part of a wider academic trend, in which more students are enrolling in these classes. A few transcribers noticed an increase in demand for services in pre-med classes, for instance.
• 25% thought that STEM classes are still too hard for AI to caption accurately.
• A few transcribers noted that TypeWell’s meaning-for-meaning approach has unique advantages when it comes to STEM classes.

Other trends

Some transcribers saw an increase in demand for work outside the classroom: in conferences, webinars, university department meetings, or accessibility-focused organizations.

Conclusion 

The job market for TypeWell transcribers is still strong. Most transcribers expressed satisfaction with the amount of work they had taken on for the fall semester. 

However, there are some growing fears about the future of the industry. About a third of transcribers are worried about a decline in demand for services, which they attributed to AI-generated captions, a decrease in student enrollment, and a return to pre-pandemic life.

Some transcribers observed an increased demand for on-site transcribing compared to remote work. 

Despite these challenges, TypeWell transcribers find fulfillment in their work and seek ways to adapt to technology while emphasizing the unique human capabilities in transcription. 

We hope that human expertise and Typewell services will continue to be valued, particularly in educational settings.

Bit Blair passed TypeWell’s Basic Skills Course in January 2013, and took the Turbo Courselet in October 2022. She also takes on some Scheduling responsibilities for TypeWell, and enjoys making colorful charts.