Today, nearly 28% of Americans work remotely. This is a fourfold increase in the percentage of remote workers.
These numbers prove that the demand for remote work has increased rapidly to the extent that 63% of people prioritize remote work over salary.
Fascinating, isn’t it?
Let us look closer at other interesting statistics associated with Remote work that will highlight its current state and future trends as we enter 2024.
Remote Work 2024: Top Picks
- 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, while 28.2% work in a hybrid model.
- 16% of companies globally are fully remote, while 63% offer hybrid work options.
- The demand for remote work will increase by 30% by 2030.
- 98% of employees prefer to work remotely.
- 27.5% of the American workforce works from home.
- The productivity of remote workers declines by 8% to 19%.
- 59% of workers are likelier to choose an employer that allows remote work.
- Employers can save up to $11,000 per employee after switching to remote work.
- 93% of employers plan to continue conducting job interviews remotely.
- 69% of remote employees experience burnout.
How many full-time employees work from home?
The number of full-time employees working from home has fluctuated over the past years. The remote work trend that started during lockdown is getting more popular today.
More than 1 in 10 employees worldwide work from home as of now.
1) 12.7% Of Full-Time Employees Work From Home As Of 2024
Besides, 28.2% of the full-time employees work in a hybrid model.
More than one-fourth of the employees worldwide work in a hybrid environment. This gives them more flexibility and maintains a level of physical presence in the office.
Source: Forbes
2) 16% Of The Companies Operate Fully Remote
At the same time, 63% of the companies offer a hybrid or remote-first option.
The same study found that 44% of the companies do not allow any kind of remote work.
Source: LinkedIn.
How many Americans work remotely?
The highest rate of remote work adoption is recorded in the United States.
The number of people working from home tripled between 2019 and 2021. Roughly 9 million, 5.7% of the US employees, worked online in 2019.
This number reached 27.6 million, or 17.9% of US employees in 2021.
3) 27.5% Of The Employees In The United States Work From Home As Of 2024
This number is more than double compared to the global average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1 in 4 employees in the United States work remotely. However, some academic surveys suggested that the percentage of US employees working from home is closer to 50%.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, MIT Sloan.
Remote Work By Demographics
Remote work is highly preferred by GenX, followed by millennials. Meanwhile, GenZ gives the least preference to remote work.
Here are further details about the demographics of remote workers.
4) 61% Of The Men And 52% Of The Women Are Being Offered Remote Working Opportunities
However, women have a higher preference for remote work, with 46% of women looking for a remote job. On the other hand, only 39% of the men prefer to work from home.
In fact, only 1 in 10 women prefer to work on-site.
Here are further details about men’s and women’s preference for remote work and hybrid work.
| Mode of work | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Remote work | 46% | 39% |
| Hybrid work | 34% | 37% |
| In-office work | 19% | 24% |
Source: McKinsey, Owl Labs.
5) 39% Of The Workers Aged 24 To 35 Work Remotely
At the same time, 25% of the employees in this age group work remotely but part-time.
This suggests that the millennial workforce values flexibility. Hence, businesses that wish to retain employees must offer remote work.
On the other hand, a study conducted by Statista highlights that 41% of employees aged 26 to 41 prefer to work from home, while 40% of employees aged 42 to 57 prefer the same.
The study further indicates that employees aged 18 to 25 are least interested in working remotely.
Here are further details about the share of employees in different age groups that prefer to work from home.
| Age group | Share of Employees That Prefer To Work From Home |
|---|---|
| 18 to 25 years | 27% |
| 26 to 41 years | 41% |
| 42 to 57 years | 40% |
| 58 to 76 years | 38% |
Source: Forbes, Statista.
6) 45% Of The Workers With Advanced Degrees Prefer To Work From Home
Workers with more education are more likely to have remote work options.
45% of the full-time and 31% of part-time workers with advanced degrees are more likely to work remotely.
Employees who have just completed high school or some college are least likely to work from home.
Here are further details about the share of remote workers with different levels of education.
| Education Level | Share of Full-Time Remote Worker | Share of Part-Time Remote Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | 32% | 21% |
| High school/some college | 29% | 19% |
| Associate’s | 31% | 19% |
| Bachelor’s | 40% | 26% |
| Advanced degree | 45% | 31% |
Source: Forbes.
Remote Work by Industry and Occupation
The industries that carry out all their major work on laptops or online tend to have a higher percentage of employees who work from home.
Hence, almost 1 in 4 employees in the IT industry work in a remote or hybrid setting.
7) The Computer And The Mathematical Industry Witnessed A 5-Fold Increase In Remote Work Compared To 2019
At the same time, business and finance operations and legal operations witnessed a 4 times increase in remote work.
Surprisingly, the food preparation industry also witnessed a 2.5 times increase in remote work.
Here are further details about the increase in remote work observed between 2019 and 2022 in different industries.
| Industry | Increase In Remote Work Compared To 2019 |
|---|---|
| Industry | Increase in remote work compared to 2019. |
| Computer and Mathematical | 5.4 times |
| Business and Financial Operations | 3.9 times |
| Legal | 3.2 times |
| Management | 3.25 times |
| Architecture and Engineering | 5.1 times |
| Life physical and social science | 3 times |
| Arts, Design and Entertainment | 3.4 times |
Source: Weforum.
8) 41.2% Of The Job Listings In The Technology, Information, And Media Industry On Linkedin Were Remote
The information and media industry witnessed the highest number of remote jobs worldwide.
The industry was closely followed by the education, administrative, and support services industry.
Here are further details about the industries with the highest remote job listings on LinkedIn.
| Industry | Percentage of Remote Job listings On LinkedIn |
|---|---|
| Technology, information, and media | 41.2% |
| Education | 29.0% |
| Administrative and support services | 27.4% |
| Professional services | 26.5% |
| Financial services | 20.2% |
Source: LinkedIn News.
Productivity of Remote Work Employees
When addressing remote work, most employers and employees worry about work productivity.
According to a number of studies, the work productivity of an employee declines when working from home.
However, some researchers found that employee productivity may increase if a suitable environment is obtained.
9) The Productivity Of Remote Workers Declines By 8% To 19%
At the same time, other studies recorded a decline of 4% in individual productivity.
Conversely, some studies claim that the productivity of remote workers increases by 13% to 24%.
Source: New York Times.
Remote Work Preferences
More than half of the employees said they would prefer working from home if provided with an option.
This is because employees prefer a job that offers them flexibility in their schedules.
Here are some cool facts about employees’ preferences related to remote work.
10) 59% Of Workers Are Likelier To Choose An Employer That Allows Remote Work
74% of the workers said that remote work opportunities make them less likely to leave a company.
Employees often highly value remote work, leading to increased job satisfaction. Hence, remote work has become highly desirable among job seekers.
Offering remote work opportunities enhances an employer’s brand and can attract top talents.
Source: Science of People.
11) 98% Of The Workers Want To Work Remotely, At Least Part-Time
This number is up from 97% recorded in 2022.
At the same time, 34% of workers want to work from home full-time.
Further, 98% of the employees said that they would recommend others to work from home. This number is also up from 97% as recorded in 2022.
Source: Buffer.
12) 68% Of The Employees Reported A Very Positive Experience With Remote Work
Flexibility was the top benefit of remote work.
On the other hand, one in three remote workers reports their biggest struggle was staying home too often because they don’t have a reason to leave.
Conversely, 1% of the employees were somewhat negative.
Here are further details about the employees’ experience with remote work.
| Experience of The Employees | Percentage of Employees |
|---|---|
| Very positive | 68% |
| Somewhat positive | 23% |
| Neutral | 8% |
| Somewhat negative | 1% |
| Very negative | 0% |
Source: Buffer.
13) 93% Of Employers Plan To Continue Conducting Job Interviews Remotely
This displays that employers are willing to adapt to virtual methods. Further, they consider it a sustainable option compared to offline interviews.
Source: LinkedIn.
Benefits of Remote Work
Remote work has benefits like flexibility, no commute required, saving time, and more. Plus, a hidden benefit of remote work is that employees and employers can cut costs.
Employees can save the dollars required for commute, while employees save dollars for space and other necessities.
Here are further facts about the benefits that come with remote work.
14) Remote Workers Earn Almost $8,600 More On Average Than Their In-Office Peers
Remote workers earn 9.7% more a year than their in-office counterparts.
Additionally, Office managers stood to earn 31.7% more working remotely than they do in the office. Public relations managers followed closely behind at 30.1%, along with customer service managers and data analysts.
This pay gap could be because employers decided to pass along their savings from reducing office space to their workers.
On the other hand, only six in-office positions earn higher salaries than their remote counterparts: junior web developers, supply-chain managers, UX designers, insurance underwriters, financial advisors, and sales assistants.
15) 22% Of The Employees Stated That The Biggest Benefit Of Remote Work Is Having Flexibility In How They Spend Their Time.
At the same time, the second majority chose that the most significant benefit is flexibility in where they live.
The benefits of remote work vary according to employee preferences and what they value more.
The following table displays the benefits that remote-working employees experience:
| Benefits of Working From Home | Percentage of Employees That Consider It To Be The Biggest Benefit of Remote Work |
|---|---|
| Flexibility in how I spend my time | 22% |
| Flexibility to live where I choose | 19% |
| Flexibility to choose my work location | 13% |
| I have more time because I don’t commute | 12% |
| It’s better for me financially | 11% |
| The ability to better focus on my work | 8% |
| Flexibility in my career options | 4% |
| I feel safer | 3% |
| Other | 1% |
16) Employers Can Save Up To $11,000 Per Employee After Switching To Remote Work
These savings are from reduced costs from the office space, utilities, lower absenteeism, increased productivity, and other resources.
Source: Forbes.
17) 33% Of The Employees Stated That Their Anxiety And Depression Reduced After Working From Home
At the same time, 36% said that they felt less burned out.
an average of one-third of employees working from home said that their overall physical and mental health improved due to remote work.
The following table displays the health-related benefits remote employees experience after working from home:
| Health Benefits of Working From Home | Percentage of Employees That Experienced Betterment In Health |
|---|---|
| Less burnout | 36% |
| Healthier food choices | 35% |
| Reduced anxiety and depression | 34% |
| Improved overall mental health | 33% |
| Improved sleep | 32% |
| Increased exercise | 30% |
| Improved overall physical health | 28% |
Source: Flexjobs.
Challenges of Remote Work
Remote work is not just about benefits; there’s a cost employees need to pay.
Most employees experience fatigue and increased burnout levels when working from home. At the same time, a large majority of the employees also witness feelings of loneliness.
Let us take a closer look at employees’ challenges when working from home.
18) 69% Of Remote Employees Experience Burnout
The issue of burnout persists even in the remote work setting.
Even though remote work alleviates the stress of commodities and rigid schedules, it introduces new challenges like managing work, avoiding overwork, lack of work-life balance, and more.
Source: Monster.
19) 53% Of The Remote Workers Found It Harder To Connect With Their Coworkers
Remote work makes face-to-face interactions difficult, resulting in a loss of communication. Further, a number of surveys concluded that remote workers face difficulty in getting connected with their coworkers.
This figure brings into the limelight that businesses must have strategies to help employees with effective communication and team building in remote settings.
Conversely, 37% of the remote workers said that remote work neither hurts nor helps make connections with coworkers.
Source: Forbes.
20) 47% Of The Employees Find It Difficult To Manage At-Home Distractions While Working From Home
At the same time, 35% of the remote workers said that they felt isolated or lonely.
The following table displays the distractions faced by remote workers:
| Challenges Faced By Employees Working Remotely | Percentage of Employees That Face The Challenge |
|---|---|
| Managing at-home distractions | 47% |
| Collaborating with colleagues/clients | 35% |
| Isolation/loneliness | 35% |
| Motivation | 29% |
| Tasking adequate time away from work | 28% |
| Disconnecting from work/burnout | 28% |
| Networking/fostering career development | 24% |
| Other | 1% |
| None of the above | 6% |
Source: Statista.
Remote Work Trends and Future
According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Remote work helps employees save 72 minutes of daily commuting. This proves that remote work saves costs as well as time.
Hence, after observing all the benefits of remote work, the number of employees working remotely went up by 24%, and those working in a hybrid environment increased by 16% after 2021.
Further, by 2024, 60% of the US workforce will be working remotely. This will be an increase of almost 20% compared to 2020.
Let’s take a look at some facts about remote work trends and future adoptions.
21) The Number Of Employees Working Remotely In The US Will Reach 36.2 Million In 2025
This means 22% of the American workforce will be working remotely in 2025.
These numbers prove that the future of remote work in the United States is promising, and there will be a slow yet gradual shift toward remote work arrangements.
Source: Forbes.
22) The Hybrid Work Model Will Emerge As The Dominant Approach To Work Location By 2030
NickBloom predicts that this model will be the new approach as it combines the advantages of remote work and in-person collaboration. As a result, it offers a flexible and efficient solution for both employees and employers.
He further added that remote work would also help in technological advancements as a number of innovative tools will come into existence. These tools will help organizations bridge the gap between in-person and virtual collaborations.
Source: Flex Index.
23) The Demand For Remote Work Will Increase By 30% By 2030
By 2030, almost all of the GenZ will be entering the workforce. As the majority of GenZ prefer flexibility, the demand for remote work will skyrocket.
Source: Gartner.
