With December's still numbers coming down the pipe, some may say that the race of 2009 is too early to call.  But if you ask me, I'll tell it to you straight: PHP is the number 1 most in-demand skill for online work for all of 2009.

The Elance Work Index, which ranks the hottest 100 skills in today’s online labor market, revealed that for the third month in a row PHP (Personal Home Page Tools) captures the number one spot on the Index, confirming the theory that PHP-skilled professionals as the most sought after independent workers online today.

Elance is also expanding its skill testing platform to augment Elance’s existing 250 tests with new “Code Tests” that give technical experts in top programming languages like PHP a way to demonstrate their expertise in writing and debugging actual computer code. To launch the new PHP Code Test, Elance is sponsoring a 14 day “code-off” in PHP for its pool of skilled PHP providers – offering $250 and a full-year premium membership to each of the coders who score in the Top 10 for PHP programming. The PHP “code-off” begins now and ends at Noon PST on November 30, 2009.

The November Elance Work Index highlights several emerging trends:

 

• Language Translation – For the first time, specific language translation skills have appeared in the Top 100 with Spanish Translation at #77, French Translation at #83 and German Translation at #88. Italian, Swedish and others are also knocking on the door to enter the Index. If all jobs requiring Translation skills were combined, Translation would appear in the Top 10 list for the first time.
  
   
• Illustration – As designs and stock photos become more ubiquitous, companies appear to be increasingly in the market for distinct imagery. We noticed that Custom Illustration popped 27 spots to #18, while Cartoon vaulted 43 spots to #41. Graphic Design clung to its Top 10 placement and Animation moved up 12 places to #37. All and all, great news for those with the right skills.
  
  
• Android – It appears that the marketing push by Google and their carrier partners is getting some traction, as Android appeared on this month’s Index almost out of nowhere, entering the list at #76, up a whopping 166 spots from last month. Mobile development is strong all around with iPhone holding steady at #32.

** Denotes new entrant to Elance Work Index

* The Elance Work Index is calculated using data from more than 100,000 new jobs posted on Elance over recent months. The Elance Work Index is a leading market indicator with respect to business and hiring trends.