How does freelancing work these days? - eviltoast

I’d imagine it may work somewhat like it always has, but with some of the more technical jobs (say some web dev stuff) or the like, I’m not entirely clear on it.

What sort of job listings or openings or whathaveyou do freelancers typically keep an eye out for when on the hunt for new jobs? Also, depending on the country, how do they get by without whatever employer benefits may be provided (e.g. in the US this may generally be like health insurance and retirement-related stuff)?