According to the Wall Street Journal, more US companies are hiring home based workers.

Hilton Hotels Corp. employs about 900 work-at-home reservation agents, while outsourcing companies like Alpine Access, Arise Virtual Solutions and LiveOps, among others, hire work-at-home personnel to handle various types of call-center tasks for their clients.

Despite the economic slowdown, some of these companies plan to continue hiring in coming months. Hilton expects to hire
more at-home agents in January, said Russ Olivier, a Dallas-based senior vice president at the company. Alpine Access will hire another 250 agents this year, plus 1,200 in the first quarter of 2009, said Chris Carrington, chief executive of the Denver-based company.

Mr. Carrington said the growth is being driven largely by companies moving call-center operations back to the U.S. from abroad, partly because wages and other costs are rising rapidly outside the U.S., but also because of the potential for communications difficulties to create a customer backlash.

These work-at-home jobs aren't for everyone. The companies
often require some experience. Mr. Carrington said Alpine hired just 2% of applicants this year. And, while the flexibility of the work schedule appeals to some applicants -- in general, agents set their schedule about a week in advance -- many are part time, with pay ranging from about $8 to $14 an hour, often
without benefits.

In addition, the jobs often require workers to have a relatively up-to-date computer, high-speed Internet access, and a dedicated phone line, as well as a quiet place to work. And some companies require a fair amount of upfront investment. Read complete story.

These types of jobs sound perfect for someone looking to earn a little extra spending money, while saving the cost of gas, lunches, and clothing that are associated with working outside of the home.