Remote Work Statistics: A Glance at the New Normal

Updated: May 24, 2023

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The number of people working remotely was on the rise even before the pandemic hit in 2020. The worldwide lockdowns accelerated the process and since then, the working landscape has been permanently altered.

Today’s remote work statistics show that many employers have embraced the benefits of a permanently remote workforce. And even though some businesses still view it as unorthodox or a temporary fixture, the available data tells us that remote work is here to stay.

In this article, we’ll delve deeper into the numbers on how many people work from home, the lifestyle changes, productivity rates, and earnings.

Top Remote Working Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

  • 24% of companies globally are fully remote. (Owl Labs)
  • An average person saves $4,000 a year by working from home. (FlexJobs)
  • 12% of remote workers spent over $1,000 on home offices in 2020. (FlexJobs) 
  • 50% of employees working remotely feel lonely at least once a week. (Zippia)
  • Telecommuting in the US increased by 115% between 2005 and 2015. (FlexJobs) 
  • The number of fully remote workers increased by over four times between 2018 to 2021. (Zippia)
  • 21% of workers are willing to give up vacation time for flexible work options. (Network Depot)

General Remote Work Statistics

In 2023, career growth for remote workers is perceived to be much better than previous years. The flexibility and convenience it offers are few of the factors that make it continuously a trend, and numbers below are the proof.

  1. In 2022, 24% of companies globally are fully remote.

(Owl Labs,Owl Labs)

A study conducted by Owl Labs found that since 2021, the number of workers choosing to work remotely has increased by 24%. Those who chose hybrid work increased by 16%. However, interest in office jobs fell by 24%.

  1. 78% of remote workers say they are highly engaged in their work.

(Quantum Workplace)

A 2021 survey from the cloud-based human resources solution, Quantum Workplace, reveals that employee engagement levels don’t suffer due to remote and hybrid work. In fact, the percentage of remote employees who said they were highly engaged in their work (78%) was higher than the percentage of engaged on-site employees (72%).

  1. 32.2% of managers report an increase in productivity following the 2020 shift to remote work.

(Zippia)

Some of the most recent stats on people working from home highlight the satisfaction among managers with their remote workforce. The data also shows that 68% of enterprises witnessed a spike in productivity among their staff since the onset of the pandemic.

  1. 56% of the US workforce could work remotely. 

(Global Workplace Analytics)

The research-based consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics recently analyzed the number of jobs that are compatible with remote work and found that more than half of America’s 75 million employees could do their job from home. These are jobs that do not require personal contact with customers or physical on-site work. The jobs have clear parameters for evaluation and an information component.   

  1. Office space utilization data shows that employees weren’t at their desks 50-60% of the time even before the pandemic.

(Global Workplace Analytics)

Prior to the pandemic and the mass gathering of data on remote workers, statistics show that employees spent a lot of time away from their desks. This shows that office space is becoming obsolete and that employees don’t need to be physically present in the office to deliver results.

  1. 69% of employees in the US worked remotely at the peak of the pandemic.

(Global Workplace Analytics)

A joint survey by Global Workplace Analytics and Owl Labs compiled a list of interesting remote work stats in 2020. The findings are based on responses from full-time office workers, most of whom went fully remote when the world got hit by an unprecedented health crisis.

  1. American office workers want to work remotely and are willing to quit their jobs to do so.

(Zapier)

These findings are based on a survey conducted by Zapier in 2022. 32% of survey respondents have already quit a job because they didn’t have the option to work remotely, and 61% say they would quit if they could accept a fully remote opportunity.

  1. 73% have returned to work in the office at least one day a week in 2021.

(Owl Labs)

Flexible work arrangements, including remote work, have become very important factors for Americans weighing the pros and cons of accepting a job offer. Remote working statistics show that the increased level of flexibility delivered a range of benefits for many employees, who said they felt healthier and happier.

  1. 21% of workers say they are willing to give up vacation time for flexible work options in 2023.

(Network Depot)

Employees are willing to make certain sacrifices if they are given the flexibility to work from home. One of those sacrifices includes giving up vacation time. Meanwhile, 16% of workers are even willing to give up retirement contributions by the employer. This can be a win-win situation as the employer gets to save money. With more companies embracing these remote work trends, we expect a complete transformation of the work landscape in the not-too-distant future.

  1. The shift to remote work temporarily reduced carbon emissions by 17%. 

(Harvard Business Review)

As lockdowns went into effect throughout the world in the first part of 2020, production, consumption, and mobility were all dramatically reduced. As a result, global CO2 emissions dropped by 17% in April that year. However, in more recent months, that trend has been reversed despite the fact that some employees haven’t returned to their pre-pandemic routines. Statistics about remote work show that the environmental impact of working from home is ultimately determined by individual circumstances and characteristics.

  1. 45% of remote workers would rather have a hybrid arrangement in 2022.

(Zippia,UC Today)

Unlike the 6% that would rather work full time from the office, 45% of remote workers prefer a healthy balance between remote and in-office work. This may be the ideal solution for those who don’t like the idea of being confined to the same working environment for too long.

  1. 68% of remote workers do not think working remotely impacts career trajectory

(Email Analytics)

According to a more conventional point of view, employees need to be in the office to advance in their careers. But remote work statistics show that many employees aren’t worried about their career trajectory. More than half the remote workers, who took part in a recent survey, believe that their efforts will deliver the same results regardless of whether they’re coming into the office or not.

  1. 35% of remote workers are parents, guardians, or caregivers.

(Buffer)

Remote work is especially beneficial to those with dependents. This working arrangement reduces their childcare costs and enables them to spend more time with their children. In fact, many of the parents and caregivers surveyed said they chose remote work because of their children.

Remote Workers Statistics Before the Pandemic

  1. 47% of employees had never worked remotely before the pandemic, but a 2022 survey showed that 36% were expected to work remotely permanently.

(Statista,Statista)

The remote workforce was a lot smaller before the pandemic. Only 17% of US employees worked from home five days or more per week. However, it quickly became evident that this work model doesn’t impede productivity and offers a range of benefits to both employers and employees. 

  1. 5.7 million employees in the US telecommuted before the pandemic.

(Global Workplace Analytics)

A 2019 analysis of American Community Service or ACS data offers some valuable info for working from home stats. That year, 4.1% of the US workforce is thought to have worked from home either part-time or more often.

  1. 39% of employees worked remotely in some capacity as far back as 2012.

(Gallup,Gallup)

Gallup data shows that a sizable percentage of employees worked away from their coworkers in some capacity more than a decade ago. By 2016, that number increased by 4%, with little or no signs of a decline in productivity.

As of 2022, 87% of respondents stated that remote work options improved their overall work-life balance. According to a Gallup survey conducted in June 2022, 8 out of 10 people work hybrid or remote, with only 2 out of 10 working entirely on-site. According to an AT&T study, the hybrid work model is expected to increase from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024.

Statistics on Remote Work: Post Pandemic

  1. 97% of people working remotely would recommend remote work to others in 2022.

(Email Analytics,World Economic Forum)

Many remote workers are genuinely satisfied with their working arrangement and see it as a privilege that others should enjoy. The overwhelming majority of remote workers say they would recommend the model to their peers.

  1. The number of fully remote workers increased by over four times between 2018 to 2021.

(Zippia)

Remote work statistics show that 26.7% of employees are now fully remote. This marks a significant increase from the 6% in 2018. Of the 26.7%, 35% are women, 38% are college graduates, and 17% don’t have a college degree.

  1. 25% of all jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022.

(Poets and Quants)

Although a lot of companies are insisting their employees return to the office, some of the most recent studies suggest there will be no shortage of remote work opportunities by 2023. Remote work survey statistics reveal that 15% of all high-paying job listings in North America during the third quarter of 2021 were remote.

  1. 81% of employees expect to continue receiving support to work remotely from their employers. 

(Zippia)

As more employees get a taste of remote work, demand for such jobs is high. Even those who never worked from home prior to the pandemic now wish to make this a more permanent fixture.

  1. In 2022, 18% of executives spend more time working remotely than in the office.

(Email Analytics)

Executives have also started adopting a more hybrid or fully remote working model. These remote work trends aren’t all that surprising, given that some businesses are now fully remote.

  1. 97% of organizations changed cybersecurity policies to support remote work.

(Cisco)

According to Cisco, the shift to remote work had a significant impact on cybersecurity policies in 2022. To grant remote workers access to files from private computers and internet connections, these policies had to be altered.

Remote Workforce Statistics: Income and Expenses

  1. 12% of remote workers spent over $1,000 on home offices in 2020.

(FlexJobs)

At the height of the pandemic, most remote workers had to set up a dedicated home office space. They needed comfortable and mentally stimulating environments for work. 42% of those surveyed spent between $100 and $500, while 12% invested over $1,000 to set up home offices.

  1. Internet service was given to 28 percent of remote employees.

(Email Analytics,Business New Daily)

According to Buffer’s 2023 report, most businesses paid for expenses such as hardware, office equipment, and supplies, with 64 percent of respondents reporting that their company provided hardware and 40 percent reporting that items such as a desk and chair were also provided. Internet access was provided to 28% of remote employees.

  1. Higher income cities have more remote workers.

(Drop Desk)

Some of those people are likely to be “knowledge workers,” whose jobs can be performed remotely and who can afford the necessary technology. Drop Desk compiled a list of the top states and cities that are recruiting and have the highest population of remote workers by analyzing some of the top job websites.

  • California 6% [Berkeley 11.6%, Santa Monica 9.6%, Pleasanton 9.5%]
  • Texas 5.2% [The Woodlands 11.3%, Sugar Land 8.8%, Austin 8.2%]
  • New York 4.5% [New York City 4.3%, Syracuse 4.2%, Rochester 2.9%]
  • Florida 6.2% [Delray Beach 9.5%, Clearwater 9%, Miami Beach 8.6%]
  • Illinois 5.1% [Naperville 10.1%, Evanston 7.9%, Arlington Heights 6.2%]
  • Virginia 5.6% [Arlington 5.7%, Alexandria 5.3%, Roanoke 4.1%]
  • Pennsylvania 5.1% [Pittsburgh 4.8%, Philadelphia 4.4%, Allentown 3.7%]
  • North Carolina 6% [ Asheville 8.3%, Charlotte 6.9%, Raleigh 6.9%]
  • Georgia 5.9% [Columbus 8%, Atlanta 7.2%, Sandy Springs 5.5%]
  • Massachusetts 5.3% [Newton 10%, Worcester 6.4%, Cambridge 6.2%]
  • Washington 6.5% [Bellevue 8.2%, Seattle, 7.6%, Renton 5.7%]
  • New Jersey 4.7% [Jersey City 3.5%, Cameden 1.9%, Newark 1.6%]
  • Colorado 8.6% [Boulder 14.9%, Broomfield 9.4%, Denver 8.2%]
  • Arizona 6.8% [Scottsdale 10.7, Mesa 6.6%, Flagstaff 5.9%]
  • Minnesota 6.1% [Plymouth 9.2%, Eagan 6.3%, St. Paul 6%]
  1. An average person saves $4,000 by working from home in 2021.

(FlexJobs)

Some of the more common myths about remote jobs are that they pay less, and most remote workers have to take pay cuts to enjoy the flexibility afforded by these jobs. But this simply isn’t the case, and remote workers are actually saving more money at the end of the year than their counterparts in the office. This is made possible by eliminating commuting, gas, and car maintenance costs and not spending money on food away from home, which can quickly add up.  

  1. 38% of workers are saving an estimated $5,000 a year by working remotely.

(FlexJobs)

The ability to reduce costs is listed as one of the two main benefits of working remotely. The other is not having to commute to work. Among the respondents from a 2021 survey, one in five say they are saving as much as $200 per week or $10,000 a year. Work from home statistics show that remote workers save on everything from skipping takeout lunches to dry cleaning work clothes. 

  1. In 2021, 55% of workers put in more hours when they work remotely. 

(Owl Labs)

Statistics on remote work reveal that more than half of the 10,000 respondents who took part in a recent study examining how US employees feel about remote and hybrid work actually work more hours than at the office.

  1. 61% of American workers are willing to take a pay cut to stay remote.

(Good Hire)

According to a GoodHire 2021 survey, some workers dread the idea of going back to the office and are willing to take a 50% pay cut to maintain their remote working status. In a lot of cases, reservations about returning to the office have nothing to do with the risk of contracting COVID-19. Remote workers simply feel that they have more flexibility during their workday.

Remote WorkStatistics 2022: Lifestyle Impact

  1. In 2023, 21% of millennials switched jobs in search of companies that share their environmental values.

(Gallup)

According to a Gallup, 67% of workers aged 18-29 and 49% of those aged 30-49 believe global warming is man-made and a real threat. As such, a growing number of workers are exploring ways to reduce the amount of time spent commuting to and from work while keeping an eye on their company’s carbon footprint. Businesses trying to attract younger workers are increasingly adopting environmentally friendly policies, including remote work.

  1. For 41% of remote workers, the biggest change in their work concerns collaboration and communication with peers in 2021.

(Buffer)

Not being in the same place as their colleagues is one of the major challenges remote workers face. Many find it easier to communicate in person than over Zoom calls and emails, according to stats on people working from home.

  1. In 2020, 53% of stay-at-home moms accept jobs with flexible work schedules. 

(Gallup)

We know that more women are delving into the tech space; for most, it is because of the flexibility that comes with roles in the tech industry. While some women aspire to become CEOs, others would rather stay at home to take care of their children.

For most stay-at-home mothers, flexible working hours play a major role in their ability to take a job. Before the pandemic, only one-third of working mothers said they were able to work from home when they needed to.

  1. 53% of workers look for a good work-life balance when considering job offers according to a 2022 survey.

(Gallup)

Younger workers aren’t willing to sacrifice their entire lives for work and look for jobs that they feel benefit their personal wellbeing. Remote work trends suggest that this is also one of the reasons why some workers enjoy the flexibility of not having to come into the office every day.

  1. 40% of remote workers struggle to unplug after a workday.

(Zippia)

According to remote work statistics conducted by Zippia in 2022, some employees who don’t come to the office have a tough time ending their workday. Naturally, this translates into a longer work week, and some have even said that they face a bigger workload than before the pandemic.

  1. 50% of employees working remotely feel lonely at least once a week.

(Zippia)

Loneliness is a major problem among remote workers.  In fact, remote work isolation statistics reveal other alarming components. Nearly 20% of remote workers said isolation is the biggest downside of not coming to the office, while the majority feel they are being left out of work-related activities.   

  1. There has been a 23% increase in the number of women working remotely since 2020.

(Zippia)

The number of women working remotely has grown since 2020. The 23% increase among women is higher than the 16% among men. 80% of these women consider remote work to be the most important job benefit. Only 69% of the men feel the same way.

Telecommuting Statistics

  1. The number of remote workers in the US grew by 115% between 2005 and 2015.

(FlexJobs)

This increase in telecommuting accounts for 3.9 million employees or 2.9% of the total workforce in the US. Of course, remote work adoption rate statistics show that since the start of the pandemic, those numbers have grown at an accelerated rate.

  1. An estimated 14% of remote workers attended at least 11 meetings per week in 2019.

(Statista)

Only 3% of their peers who work out of offices attended that many meetings per week. Thanks to video conferencing tools, it is now easier to have meetings virtually.

  1. In March 2020, daily traffic to the Zoom.us download page increased by 535%.  

(The Guardian)

The video-conferencing platform Zoom became one of the most important features in our daily lives as millions switched to remote work in the early days of the pandemic. It was used by both high profile figures and ordinary employees who needed to stay in touch with their coworkers.

  1. Only 65% of remote workers in the US have fast enough internet capacity for video calls.

(Stanford News)

Telecommuting stats reveal that one major challenge of working remotely is poor internet connectivity. When it comes to video calls, a poor internet connection can be especially frustrating. This problem is prevalent in developing countries, but remote workers in the US have also been affected.

Final Thoughts

It’s no wonder that workers prefer to work remotely. Not only does having a flexible workforce protect against future disruptions, it also provides for increased employee satisfaction, better productivity, cost savings, and a lot more.

Further reading

FAQ

Is remote work less effective?

The short answer to this question is no. Multiple surveys since the start of the pandemic in 2020 found that many employees are more productive while working from the comfort of their homes.

Remote work statistics suggest that these comfortable environments, devoid of pressure and distractions, are important contributors to the higher level of productivity. The flexibility that working remotely offers also helps to minimize stress and work burnout. As such, it’s not surprising that a growing number of businesses and companies are incorporating models and structures for remote work.

What percentage of employees are remote?

According to remote work statistics, more than 24% of employees in the US work remotely. It is also important to note that 16% of companies globally are fully remote, and the numbers look set to increase further. According to some forecasts, 25% of all jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022.

What are the pros and cons of remote working?

Remote work offers a range of benefits for both employers and employees. For the latter,  not having to come into the office enables them to save on transportation and takeout food while offering more flexibility in many areas of their lives. Employers can use this model to broaden the talent pool and cut down on office-related expenses. On the other hand, some of the most common downsides include isolation and a lack of communication.

Sources

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