60 Remote Work Stats to Know in 2024

My first advertising and marketing job was as a contract author for an company on the alternative aspect of the world. This additionally occurred to be my first “actual” job and, consequently, my first expertise of distant work.

Since then, I’ve labored with a number of different firms throughout a number of time zones and, because of this, skilled every thing distant work has to supply — from the challenges of organising a house workplace to the fun of location independence.

However extra importantly, I’ve additionally gotten to consciously observe the expansion and influence of distant work over time.

On this publish, I’ll be sharing 60 statistics that will help you perceive the evolution, alternatives, and challenges this distinctive mode of labor provides.

Every part is designed to offer extra than simply statistics and as an alternative give you a cohesive, research-backed narrative on every sub-topic.

Desk of Contents

The Introduction and Evolution of Distant Work

• In response to Hubspot, essentially the most popular work model today is a hybrid model, which is most well-liked by 41% of staff. That is adopted by the absolutely distant work mannequin (32%), and, lastly, on-site work (27%). Nevertheless, apparently, earlier than 2020, most staff had absolutely on-site jobs with no rapid plans to change to different fashions. So, what modified?
• The 2020 lockdown mandated a whole shift to distant work throughout most industries, introducing many to distant work for the primary time. Consequently, an Owl Labs survey discovered that this expertise led to 70% of employees wanting to maintain a hybrid or remote working arrangement even post-pandemic.
• By 2021, an Accenture research discovered that 83% of global workers considered this hybrid mannequin of labor (a mixture of distant and on-site work) as supreme.
• As time went on, employee preferences saved evolving. A 2022 research discovered that the preferred working styles shifted a bit from the previous year. Distant work was favored by 34% in 2021 however dropped to 29% in 2022. Hybrid work went from 31% to 36%, and in-office work went from 29% to 22%.

Image Source

• Breaking it down by gender, ladies appeared to favor distant work extra (46%) over males (39%). However, in-office work appeared extra interesting to males, with 24% preferring it in comparison with 19% of ladies.
• This study also found that round 29% of staff modified jobs, with distant staff being twice as possible (37%) to change in comparison with these working in an workplace (21%). The highest causes for altering jobs have been higher pay (84%), higher profession alternatives (82%), and higher work/life steadiness (78%).
• However what was much more fascinating was that according to participants in the study, if the choice to work remotely of their present jobs was taken away, 66% mentioned they’d begin on the lookout for a job that provided extra flexibility, whereas 39% mentioned they’d merely give up.
• Equally, another 2022 survey found that 63% of staff would select a greater work-life steadiness over higher pay.
• And these sentiments weren’t short-term. A 2022 research by Buffer discovered that 98% of respondents wanted to work remotely in some capability for the remainder of their careers.
• Equally, one other research discovered that 88% of workers considered hybrid work as a leading benefit they’d count on in a brand new job.
• Distant work choices have been so positively acquired that only 1% of participants in a study by Buffer reported having a negative experience with distant work.
• Moreover, the research additionally discovered that 98% of remote workers would recommend remote work to others.

Image Source

• Research proceed to constantly present that many staff want a distant or hybrid association over on-site work. As an example, Atlassian’s State of Work study confirmed a notable shift within the preferences of distant, office-only, and hybrid staff between 2021 and 2022: 22% in 2022 versus 34% in 2021, 35% in 2022 versus 39% in 2021, and 43% in 2022 versus 27% in 2021, respectively.
• General, the hybrid mannequin of distant work seems to be the comfortable medium between staff and employers, with 45.5% of distant staff having hybrid preparations in comparison with 20.5% who work absolutely from house, according to a January 2023 survey.

• Earlier than the 2020 shutdown, just 8% of companies had flexible workplace policies.
• By 2021, nearly two-thirds (62%) had applied some stage of versatile work. Mid-size firms (501-5,000 staff) particularly, have been notably proactive, with 70% implementing versatile work insurance policies.
• Nevertheless, employer sentiments towards distant work continued to evolve. That very same yr, a report by OwlLabs discovered that 73% of those who worked from home throughout the pandemic finally returned to the workplace at the least in the future per week.
• In actuality, whereas 74% of companies promised some level of flexibility in work schedules on the time, 82% have been additionally planning a return to pre-pandemic work schedules after the lockdown.
• By 2022, the State of Remote Work report discovered that solely 31% of employers have been providing absolutely distant working choices, with 41% of small firms (10-50 staff) requiring staff to return to the workplace.
• So, the place precisely does that depart us at present? It actually relies on who you ask. On one hand, 58% of individuals in a McKinsey survey reported having the chance to earn a living from home at the least in the future per week.

Image Source

• However, a number of research have discovered that distant work is the exception and never the norm. In response to a study by Accenture, as of 2022, 36% of staff worldwide had returned to a completely on-site work mannequin throughout all industries.
• One other survey by Atlassian additionally revealed that 82% of all information staff had some type of “in-office mandate,” whereas 25% of staff who supposedly had the selection to work remotely nonetheless felt strain to enter the workplace.
• Lastly, a 2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey discovered that solely 27.5% of personal sector companies (2.5 million) had staff teleworking all or among the time.
• So, how can we interpret this seemingly conflicting information? Effectively, all views could have advantage. By analyzing every trade individually fairly than collectively, the information aligns higher.
• The identical research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that skilled and enterprise companies, instructional companies, and wholesale commerce boasted the very best proportion of teleworkers at 67.4%, 49%, 46%, and 39%, respectively. This implies that distant work alternatives are merely extra prevalent in sure industries, and research outcomes will usually differ relying on the trade surveyed.

• For a lot of staff, the attraction of distant work lies in its flexibility. In response to Hubspot’s Hybrid Work Report, 90% of staff are coping with some stage of burnout and imagine that flexibility, particularly in taking day without work, might considerably cut back their stress ranges.
• However flexibility is not nearly once you work. In response to findings from a Buffer study, the most important distant work advantages for staff embrace with the ability to handle their time (22%), select the place they reside (19%), and resolve the place they work (13%).

Image Source

• Atlassian’s analysis gives additional perception, exhibiting that the primary reason US knowledge workers prefer remote work is that they’re merely happier working from house (47%).
• However past happiness and adaptability, distant staff additionally report larger productiveness ranges. In response to a research by Owl Labs, a large majority (62%) of workers feel more productive when working remotely, in comparison with simply 11% who really feel much less productive.
• A Buffer study additionally discovered that 70% of staff discover it simpler to focus, 65% handle stress higher, and 50% keep away from distractions higher when working remotely.
• Lastly, whereas the workplace is seen as the most efficient surroundings for sure actions, equivalent to assembly new individuals (59%), managing others (51%), and crew conferences (51%), staff are break up on the place they like to innovate and brainstorm. Some thrive in the office (39%), while others seem to find their flow better at home (37%).

• Distant work, whether or not absolutely distant or hybrid, usually incurs bills that aren’t usually related to conventional work fashions. In response to findings from Buffer’s State of Remote Work Report, 64% of staff indicated that their firms paid for {hardware} equivalent to screens, whereas 40% reported that their firms lined prices related to house workplace gear.
• Curiously, house web, which is arguably essentially the most essential distant work device, is only covered by 28% of companies.
• One other extra distant working price firms usually should cowl is coworking memberships. 22% of respondents within the Buffer survey indicated that their companies cover their memberships, whereas 38% expressed a want for his or her firms to take action.
• Now, aside from worker bills, companies additionally want to contemplate how distant work would possibly have an effect on profitability. For instance, HubSpot’s 2024 State of Sales Report revealed that 46% of salespeople understand promoting remotely as much less efficient than in-person gross sales.

Image Source

• So, what does this imply? Is distant work merely an added expense with no actual advantages to the underside line? Quite the opposite, distant work additionally provides main monetary advantages. In response to a study by IWG, greater than four-fifths of Chief Monetary Officers (CFOs) (82%) imagine that distant work, particularly in a hybrid format, is a cheaper enterprise mannequin in comparison with conventional workplace setups.
• This line of considering is supported by findings from World Office Analytics, which means that hybrid working preparations can save organizations more than $11,000 per employee annually on average.
• However how precisely does distant work ship price financial savings for firms? Firstly, there’s the potential for substantial financial savings on workplace hire. The IWG research discovered that two-thirds (65%) of CFOs goal to cut back facility spending by more than 10% per year.
• Equally, one other research discovered that 60% of U.S. executives plan to reduce office space by up to half or more.
• The rationale behind these cost-saving measures is obvious. By eliminating or considerably decreasing workplace area necessities, firms can keep away from committing to costly, long-term leases, alter their area necessities as wanted, and luxuriate in big price financial savings. As an example, Cisco’s adoption of hybrid working practices has resulted in savings of $500 million over the past five years.
• However there’s extra to it than simply saving on workplace prices. Employee prices alone reveal an fascinating development. An Owl Labs research discovered that greater than half of all staff (52%) can be prepared to simply accept a pay reduce of 5% or extra in trade for the pliability to decide on their working location. The truth is, 23% indicated they would accept a pay cut of 10% or more for this benefit.
• Conversely, if staff have been not allowed to work remotely or in a hybrid setup, 67% would expect a pay increase to cowl extra commuting bills.
• Lastly, past price issues, current analysis carried out by IWG and Arup revealed that hybrid working has the potential to reduce urban carbon emissions by 70% within the UK and as much as 87% within the U.S.. These findings recommend that the environmental influence of absolutely distant work may very well be substantial for companies that select to undertake distant work fashions.

• In response to a recent HubSpot survey, the primary ache level for firms within the distant work period is disconnected programs. Particularly, the survey discovered that the highest downside for distant firms appears to be difficulties with communication and collaboration between groups.
• However why is that this an issue? One attainable cause may very well be how distributed groups are these days. For instance, Buffer’s State of Remote Work survey discovered that 74% of respondents labored in firms that function throughout a number of time zones. Moreover, over half of the distant staff (62%) in that research reported having individuals of their rapid groups distributed throughout a number of time zones.

Image Source

• This distributed setup impacts how remote teams collaborate. At the moment, collaboration primarily happens via messaging apps (50%), emails (22%), and conferences (19%), with video calls being the most typical for conferences. Curiously, only about one-third (36%) of employers have upgraded their video assembly know-how since 2020.
• For digital conferences particularly, a Buffer study found that when taking conferences, most distant staff want to be on digital camera. When requested why, 67% of individuals felt it was simpler to speak after they might see somebody’s expression.
• That mentioned, not all conferences are considered favorably by distant staff. A study by HubSpot revealed that 70% of staff discover too many calls and conferences disruptive to their focus. Moreover, 58% really feel that at the least half of the conferences they attend might have been dealt with via emails as an alternative.
• Furthermore, the identical research additionally discovered that email was the preferred communication platform for a majority of respondents (39%) when requested to decide on one platform for the upcoming yr.
• On the aspect of the organizations, a number of research have proven that employers are additionally taking measures to make sure seamless collaboration amongst distant groups. A 2022 study found that roughly half (50%) of employers have offered coaching to managers on managing distant and hybrid groups.
• Equally, a HubSpot research discovered that 32% of staff who participated of their Hybrid Work survey had acquired tips on utilizing unified communication and collaboration tools. Moreover, 54% had acquired coaching on conducting efficient and inclusive hybrid conferences.
• Lastly, a current research additionally discovered that 37% of employers have added or increased the use of employee tracking software, indicating a rising development in the direction of more practical monitoring and administration of distant groups.

• Whereas distant work provides many advantages, it additionally presents a number of challenges. For some distant staff, the wrestle lies in the isolation of staying home too often. One research discovered that one in three distant staff reported this as their largest problem, with loneliness following intently behind at 23%.
• A 2022 Hubspot survey additionally discovered that 40% of remote workers reportedly miss spontaneous, in-person connections with their colleagues,

Image Source

• There’s additionally the truth that not each worker thrives in a distant surroundings. A current research discovered that almost half of U.S. staff feel their teams do not function effectively in a hybrid environment.
• Whereas this might possible be attributed to a number of causes, a 2022 research discovered that 77% of remote workers who felt much less productive attributed this to elevated distractions at house, which is comprehensible contemplating that 45% of remote workers make the most of multi-purpose areas, equivalent to bedrooms or kitchens, for work.
• Separating work and personal life will also be troublesome in a distant setting. In a single research, 81% of distant staff admitted to checking work emails outdoors of workplace hours, with 63% doing so on weekends and 34% whereas on trip. Furthermore, 48% usually labored past conventional hours, with 44% reporting elevated work hours in comparison with the earlier yr.
• Another study additionally discovered that almost half (45%) of staff report a rise in work-related stress over the previous yr.
• Lastly, one other main problem for distant work adoption appears to be office perceptions. One research discovered that 49% of workers really feel that managers view in-office staff as tougher working and extra reliable than distant counterparts.
• Equally, one other research discovered that 10% of employees concern being perceived as much less productive or dedicated in the event that they work remotely.

Navigating The Distant Work Panorama

Whereas distant work presents new and distinctive challenges, with the fitting strategy and understanding, it could result in extra productive and satisfying working preparations for each staff and employers.

Whether or not you‘re contemplating your first distant function or hiring distant crew members, it’s essential to maintain the stats above in thoughts because the world continues to evolve and embrace flexibility.