Remote Work Statistics & Trends: The Latest in Remote Work

ByJessica Howington, Senior Content Manager

在过去的几年中,工作景观changed dramatically and permanently. So too has the perception of remote work, as the benefits for employers and employees alike have come to light.

Having a choice of work environmentand location is now a key factor for many job seekers when searching for a better work-life balance and evaluating new career opportunities.

Just how much has remote work impacted the notion of business as usual? Here are some intriguing remote work statistics that offer a by-the-numbers look at where things stand.

Key Remote Work Statistics

巨大的转变remote work since 2020 has allowed professionals and companies alike to realize the benefits ofremote workand, as a result, companies areadopting hybrid and remote work models for the long-term. AGallup surveyin June of 2022 found that 8 in 10 people are working hybrid or remote, while only 2 in 10 are entirely on-site. And this trend continues for future predictions.

Arecent AT&T studyfound the hybrid work model is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. And according to FlexJobs’Employee Engagement Report,48% of employers are maintaining some form of remote work for their workforce. When asked what their company’s post-pandemic workplace plans will be, 26% of respondents said their employer will follow a hybrid model, and 22% said they’ll be allowed to work remotely.

The bottom line is that companies have realized thatphysically being at the office full-time isn’t necessary to produce great results.

Many companies have already made the switch to hybrid and remote workplaces, including prominent brands such asAdobe,Salesforce, andSpotify. In fact, more companies across industries are joining long-time remote work advocates—likeAutomattic,GitLab,Toptal, andZapier—in adopting permanent remote workplaces. Some of the latest thought leaders and companies embracing remote work include:

Employees areeager to continue working remotely or hybridtoo. According to FlexJobs’Career Pulse Survey(conducted between July and August 2022), 65% of respondents report wanting to work remotely full-time, while 32% want a hybrid work environment. That’s an astounding 97% of workers who desire some form of remote work!

—Remote Work Attracts and Retains Talent

InRemote.co’s Work & Financial Wellness Report, 63% of global workers surveyed said they would “absolutely” look for a new job if they couldn’t continue to work remotely. The high willingness of professionals to leave a current job for a new job with remote work signals the importance of work flexibility in today’s workforce. The survey also found this to be in line with the top factors professionals state they use to evaluate job opportunities:

Remote work options (84%)
Salary (81%)
Work-life balance (79%)
Work schedule (56%)
Meaningful work (50%)
Company culture (42%)
Skills training and education options (40%)
Career progression (40%)
Vacation time (38%)
Company reputation (38%)

Offering hybrid and remote work options may benefit companies that want to retain top talent. From 2019 to early 2022,a studydiscussed at the 2022Stanford University Remote Work Conferencefound the share of postings that say new employees can work remotely one or more days per week rose threefold in the U.S.AndaFlexJobs surveyconductedin early 2022 found that only 3% of professionals are looking to go back into the office 100% of the time. This comes as no surprise, as 87% of professionals state that remote work optionsimproved their overall work-life balance.

For employers who are pushing for a return to office, FlexJobs’Employee Engagement Reportfound 19% of employed professionals said that people are not complying with requests to return to the office—meaning nearly one in five are simply ignoring the requests to come back.

—Remote Work Is Good for Business

Research showsthat businesses lose $600 billion a year to workplace distractions and thatremote workers are 35-40% more productive than their in-office counterparts.

Among performance-based remote work statistics in 2020,94% of surveyed employersreport that company productivity had been the same (67%) or higher (27%) since employees started working from home during the pandemic. More recently, aMicrosoft studyfound nearly 90% of workers reported being productive at work in a remote or hybrid arrangement.

While there are many reasons why performance has improved, there are a number of common reasons remote work increases productivity.

Reasons Remote Workers Are More Productive

Fewer interruptions
Quieter work environment
More comfortable workplace
More focused time
Avoiding office politics

—Remote Work Leads to Better Mental Health

For better or worse, thework environment has a direct impact on mental and emotional health. DuringFlexJobs’ 2022 Career Pulse Survey, 84% of respondents stated that a remote or hybrid job would make them a happier person. And for those living with mental health issues, 77% stated remote or hybrid working arrangements would help them with managing their mental health better.

Additionally, in asurvey with Mental Health America, FlexJobs found that respondents with flexible work options (including remote work) report better mental health. In fact, employees without access to flexible work are nearly two times more likely to have poor or very poor mental health.

Of those who have flexible work options, 48% say their work-life balance is excellent or very good, and 54% have the emotional support they need at work, compared to 36% and 45%, respectively, for respondents without flexible work.

Thesame surveyfound that more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents agree that workplace stress affects their mental health, leading to depression or anxiety, and 17% strongly agree.

For 56%,having flexibility in their workday is overwhelmingly listed as the top way workplaces can better support employees. Encouraging time off and offering mental health days were tied for second and third at 43%, and 28% felt that increased PTO and better health insurance were the next best ways companies can provide support moving forward.

—Remote Workers Save Money

From skipping lunch out to not having to dry-clean work clothes, remote workers save money.FlexJobs estimates that people who work from home save, on average, $6,000 or more a year.

Respondents to FlexJobs’ Career Survey wantedbetter work-life balance over higher pay. Of the 4,000 respondents, 63% chose work-life balance as a priority, whereas only 31% chose better pay.

—Remote Work Is Environmentally Friendly

Due to the human behavioral changes in 2020, the world saw changes withslowed deforestation rates, reduced air pollution, and improved water qualityworldwide.

This positive environmental impact is due, in part, to the millions of people who transitioned to working from home, thereby reducing traffic congestion and air pollution from commuting.

For example, it’s estimated thatwhen 3.9 million employees work from home at least half time, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent oftaking more than 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year. According toone estimate, nearly 36.2 million Americans could be working remotely by 2025, reducing commuter miles by70 to 140 billionevery year.

And by making environmentally sound choices—like opting to use less paper and monitoring air-conditioning, heating, and lighting—remote workers can make a positive impact on air quality.

—Remote Work Is More Favorable in Certain Areas

According to research byWalletHub, not all states are considered equal when it comes to working from home, with some having more favorable remote conditions than others.

Based on 12 metrics, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Connecticut, and Massachusetts came out on top. Some of the data points that helped determine which states were most suited to remote work include:

Number of people working from home
Internet access and cost
Price of electricity and internet
Median and average home square footage

—Remote Work Is Impacting Real Estate

Remote work gives people more options for where they live, reducing the necessity to live near large metropolitan city centers to maximize career potential. And with companies allowing employees towork from home permanently,remote workers are taking advantage of their new location independence.

When asked if they would consider moving should they obtaina permanent remote work arrangement, nearly 65% of respondents in a 2021 FlexJobs Survey said thatthey would move or that they would think about moving. When asked what factors would most influence a decision to move, the reasons included better quality of life (56%), lower cost of living or housing (45%), and different climate or better weather (35%).

Whether it’s to flee cities with a high cost of living or to find more space to spread out, remote workers are realizing that they have more real estate choices than ever before.

—Remote Work Is Here to Stay

在过去的几年里,公司仍在继续to move in the direction of supporting and advocating for remote work. With the Great Resignation came a great realization thatworking professionals need balance between their work and home lives,或者至少能够集成在佤邦y that works for them. And if that wasn’t realized, professionals were willing to look for a new job.

FlexJobs surveyed over 2,000 professionals in February and March of 2022, and two of the topreasons people found a new jobwere a lack of healthy work-life balance (49%) and no remote work options (43%).

At the same time, FlexJobs saw a 12% increase in remote job postings and a 52% increase in hybrid job postings. Specifically, the following career fields had consistently high volumes of available remote and hybrid roles and are considered strong prospects for job seekers.

The Top Careers for Remote Jobs

The Top Careers for Hybrid Jobs

With more opportunities than ever before to find a flexible role, it’s hard to see a future where going into the office full-time becomes the norm again.

Remote Work by the Numbers

Remote work statistics indicate benefits across the board, ranging from improved mental health and better work-life balance to increased productivity and a more positive environmental impact.

For more information about companies offering remote work, check out FlexJobs’ lists of theTop 100 Companies for Remote Jobsand theTop 100 Companies for Hybrid Jobs.

And if you're looking for more control over your work environment, FlexJobs can help you find a remote or hybrid job that works for you. Members get exclusive access to remote and hybrid job postings in over 50 career categories, as well as discounted rates on career coaching and many other perks. Take the tour to learn more about the benefits of becoming a FlexJobs member! Once you've found astrong career fit, you cancreate a resume in three simple steps with thispopular resume builder.

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