Nowadays, many companies choose the hybrid work model, meaning that while they do have an office where employees can go to work, there’s also the option for them to work from home at least occasionally. Taken as a whole, these statistics paint an overall positive picture of the effects of increased remote work. There are still significant challenges to overcome, such as organizations adapting their workflow management to better suit remote work or the ability to maintain a solid work culture. However, managers and employees alike seem pleased with the effects of working from home. The Europe/Africa/Middle East region is second, with people preferring to work remotely at least 2.3 days per week on average, while the Asia/Pacific region is dead last, wanting only 1.8 remote workdays per week on average[4]. Shifting an entire organization’s workflow into remote work has been a huge challenge for many this past year, though most companies have handled it well.
- Oh, and the reduction in worldwide commuting is good for the planet, with greenhouse gas emissions-reducing since 2020.
- However, full-time on-site work is a preference for only 22% of employees, according to the 2022 State of Remote Work Report produced by Owl Labs in collaboration with remote work consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics.
- The default assumption is often that someone’s home has more potential for distractions than the office, but this is not borne out in the data.
- Putting in more hours seems reserved for men, the Owl Labs report revealed.
- This aligns with the fact that tasks in this sector are often digital in nature, requiring only a reliable internet connection.
- Easily communicate with your remote team in Pumble, no matter where you are working from.
Work from home & remote work – Statistics & Facts
A comprehensive 2023 WFH Research study about remote work showed data that indicates that English-speaking countries tend to be more likely to let employees work from home. Meanwhile, in Japan, the number of companies that offered remote work after the pandemic has decreased, as data from a 2022 survey done by Tokyo Shōkō Research shows. Only 29% of Japanese companies allow remote work, meaning the remaining 71% offer no remote positions.
The legacy of COVID-19
Whether or not people actually like the new normal of remote working has been a point of contention. Some people hate the isolation, but most remote workers love the increased freedom and lack of commuting. In 2015, telecommuters amounted to 2.9% of the U.S. workforce, which means that 3.9 million people worked remotely in that year. Besides technology making it easier and easier to not have to come into the office, another key driver in these trends is the fact that a larger number of people desire fully or partially remote positions[7]. Remote work is often seen as a detriment to productivity, company culture and employee motivation. However, the statistics we’ve gathered below paint a very different picture.
Statistics on the challenges of remote work
So, instead of working from home, you could opt for a casual coworking space that offers all the best aspects of office work but eliminates the in-office tension that may exist in a company. Given the increasing number of remote workers in the world and the huge number of benefits for both the employer and the employees, it’s safe to say that, yes, working remotely works. An equal percentage of remote employees, 21% to be exact, say that working across time zones, difficulty focusing, and staying motivated are their struggles when working offsite. The flexibility of remote work sometimes makes it difficult to shut off from work and make use of free time.
of employers plan to continue conducting job interviews remotely
Every industry has different demands, and it can be difficult to accommodate a hybrid or remote work schedule when the business model relies on in-person interaction, but not every role or job in a specific industry requires it. This means, at least for certain departments or individuals, remote or hybrid work options shouldn’t be an issue. That’s partly because more women have college degrees, so more of them are in the kind of professional jobs in which flexible arrangements have become the norm.
Although many people are returning to the workplace as economies reopen—the majority could not work remotely at all—executives have indicated in surveys that hybrid models of remote work for some employees are here to stay. The virus has broken through cultural and technological barriers that prevented remote work in the past, setting in motion a structural shift in where work takes place, at least for some people. One of the primary benefits of working from home then is completely eliminating this concern. When workers get their preferred amount of remote work days, they save an average of 75 hours per year in avoided commute time.
Not only is this great for employees and managers due to saved time and increased productivity, but it also leads to an overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that workers produce. An unexpected benefit of remote working is that it can save you significant amounts of money. A whopping 92% of remote employees say that they save some amount of money by shifting to working remotely full time. Those who opt for a hybrid work model report the highest average salary at $80,000.
Other strategies important to businesses are “reducing operating costs” (48%), “engaging customers virtually” (41%), “enhancing supply chain continuity” (41%), and “balancing business portfolio” (41%). Over half of respondents (54%) also believe that “accelerating agility” is important to their business strategy. According to a 2022 study, “not being able to unplug” is the biggest remote working struggle with a 25% share of votes. This is up 7% on 2020’s results which ranked “not being able to unplug” third overall. Microsoft’s Zoom competitor has increased from 13 million monthly users in July 2019.
Surprisingly, the same report shows that the majority of people who have another job, side business, or project are actually in-office workers — 68% of them. While 80% of male respondents say they agree with their company’s mandate to go back to the office to increase productivity, only 47% of women say the same. The rest maintain that remote work has boosted their productivity and are pushing to stay remote/hybrid workers. Likewise, only 7% of companies reported that remote work was their preferred model, while 41% of employees said remote working would be optimal for them. The hybrid working model allows workers to work partly at home and the office weekly. The happiness of employees has a positive effect on a company and increases loyalty, thereby removing the enticement of the shift of employment as work is flexible.
One of the key impacts of the rise in remote work is the positive effect it has on employee satisfaction. Studies have shown that remote workers often report higher levels of job satisfaction compared to their office-based counterparts. This is likely due to the flexible work arrangement and autonomy that come with remote work, allowing employees to better balance their personal remote work stats 2024 and professional lives. Additionally, remote work can lead to lower levels of stress and commuting-related frustrations, contributing to an overall increase in happiness and well-being among remote workers. Remarkably, 98% of employees express a preference for remote work, at least part-time, showcasing the widespread appeal of this working arrangement (RemotePad.com).
“I would consider leaving my co-located company for a remote role” also saw a 10% drop, receiving 62% of votes in 2020 compared to 52% in 2021. And if you’d like to learn more about the current state of remote work, check out this up-to-date list of remote work stats. That number will likely grow with the further adoption of video-based technology for remote interviewing.
It turns out that remote work isn’t only beneficial for employees and their employers but also for the environment. Work-from-home employees don’t commute daily, dramatically reducing the amount of pollution they’re responsible for. Stats on people working from home in 2022 show that small companies that hire between 10 and 50 employees are more likely to require them to return to the office than enterprises with 10,000-plus employees (27%). More than half the workforce, however, has little or no opportunity for remote work. Some of their jobs require collaborating with others or using specialized machinery; other jobs, such as conducting CT scans, must be done on location; and some, such as making deliveries, are performed while out and about.
Similarly, 70% of US company executives plan to invest further in “IT infrastructure to secure virtual connectivity”. And 64% want to invest in “training for managers to manage a more virtual workforce”. “Tools for virtual collaboration” is the most popular area for future investment among US company executives with 72% aiming to prioritize this area. While “increased employee morale” and “increased employee loyalty/retention” received 44% and 43% respectively. The next most popular benefits are “a flexibility to choose my work location” (62%), “more time because I don’t commute” (59%), “flexibility to live where I choose” (55%), and “it’s better for me financially” (48%). The remote work and work-from-home (WFH) trends have become increasingly prevalent in recent years.
The survey results identify obstacles to optimal performance that underscore a need for employers to support workers with issues that interfere with effective work. Companies will want to be thoughtful about which roles can be done partly or fully remotely—and be open to the idea that there could be more of these than is immediately apparent. Employers can define the right metrics and track them to make sure the new flexible model is working. Eighty-seven percent of workers offered at least some remote work embrace the opportunity and spend an average of three days a week working from home. People offered full-time flexible work spent a bit more time working remotely, on average, at 3.3 days a week.
Moreover, 80% of remote workers were using instant messaging apps in 2021 — an increase from 75% in 2019. In 2024, we’re expecting to see more companies realizing the benefits of structured hybrid work — specifically increased productivity. Buffer’s data from their 2023 report showed that remote work supports employees’ lives in more ways than one by offering a multitude of benefits. In 2022, 44% of respondents said that their company doesn’t provide career growth opportunities — but employees say they wish this were the case. However, in Buffer’s Remote Work Statistics for 2022, 24% of remote employees cited loneliness as a big challenge of remote work — so, the numbers are improving ever so slightly. Half of the remote employees said they had a thriving relationship with their direct team, while 42% said they had a flourishing relationship with people outside their closest team.
An Atlassian survey of Fortune 500 executives showed that managers and leaders are still concerned about productivity levels in 2024. According to the study from the Pew Research Center, some employees are more productive when working on-site. The report predicts that, by the end of 2024, ⅔ of US companies will adopt flexible and remote work options. The Owl Labs 2021 report revealed that 63% of those who worked https://remotemode.net/ from home during the pandemic had to take care of children or a dependent. People with a disability or chronic illnesses prefer remote work because it gives them more flexibility — 44% of Buffer’s respondents who identified as having a chronic disability or illness agree. Remote work is a good choice for people who find it difficult or simply can’t work from the office, Buffer’s report from 2022 revealed.
As a result, remote work has emerged as a dominant trend, requiring human resources departments to pivot faster than ever before. In this comprehensive analysis, we present the most recent remote work statistics that are shaping the professional world and working environments across the nation. When all of your remote work is centralized in one digital space, remote and hybrid work are easy to implement and maintain. In 2024, we’ll probably see more of this — especially considering that the majority of hybrid workers say they are more productive when working from home. In 2022, Robert Half released remote work findings that indicated half of US workers (50%) would be willing to quit if required to return to office work.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that 12% reported that it hurts their work-life balance, indicating that remote work may not suit everyone. With 62% of US companies offering flexible work hours, the number of hybrid workers is increasing. However, it’s also important to note that 38% of those businesses would rather have employees back in the office full time. According to owl labs statistics, over 4.7 million people in the United States work remotely, and 16% of companies employ remote workers.
