As many companies continue to downsize during the economic crisis, more and more people have begun searching for work-at-home positions.

According to recent studies, the number of people who work from home is expected to double over the next year. Experts say there are positions such as customer service, accounting, medical transcription and sales that can be done from the comfort of home.

Organizations like Working Solutions connect companies looking for work-at-home employees with job seekers. Based on Working Solutions results, starting pay for most companies who hire at-home employees is between $8 and $14 an hour. Positions that require special certification, like accounting, sales or medical transcription, can pay up to $30 an hour. For employees working from home, earnings can total $320 to $1,200 a week.

Though entry level at-home positions may offer wages slightly below in-office positions, experts remind job seekers to factor in lack of transportation costs to their earnings. In addition, parents can care for their children while working from home.

Working Solutions requires prospective employees have a computer, Internet connection, and a land line for the telephone, all which are tax deductible after getting hired to work from home.

Experts advise future employees to use caution accepting work-at-home positions, especially if they are offered over the Internet. They say there are many opportunities, but also many scams.

Avoiding scams while working from home