Study after study now shows between 85-90% of those with remote work compatible jobs want to work from home at least some of the time. Ultimately, the answer may determine its popularity, especially given the long period of waning labor productivity that preceded the pandemic. So far, there is scant clarity—and widespread contradiction—about the productivity impact. Some 41 percent of employees who responded remote work statistics to a McKinsey consumer survey in May said they were more productive working remotely than in the office. To determine the overall potential for remote work for jobs and sectors, we use the time spent on different activities within occupations. Finance and insurance has the highest potential, with three-quarters of time spent on activities that can be done remotely without a loss of productivity.

You’ll see that flexible working arrangements are quickly becoming the new normal across many countries and industries. Across the globe, working from home and remote locations has grown 159% since 2005, more than 11x faster than the rest of the workforce. It is true that a large part of today’s workforce could be subsumed under remote work scheduling. 50% of companies in the US have at least some positions that could be moved to remote work [6]. Between 2015 and 2020, there was a large 44% growth in the number of remote work opportunities.

Key Telecommuting Data and Trends

Here’s a look at the impact of remote work for employees, employers, and more. Requiring all employees to be in an
office or onsite is now a policy of the past. Employees
now expect the flexibility to work where they want, and
the top talent you are looking to attract is no different. What we’ve learned is that remote work can make or
break a company’s ability to recruit and retain
employees.

Employees can save between $2,500 and $4,000 a year (working remotely half the time) and even more if they are able to move to a less expensive area and work remotely full time. The research also shows that managers who have worked at home themselves are more likely to endorse it for others. As they and their people get used to using virtual tools, their worries about not being able to collaborate are proven wrong. And they see for themselves, just how much happier and engaged they are without the stress of commuting, being away from loved ones, workplace interruptions, etc. For instance, while teaching has moved to remote work during the pandemic, parents and teachers alike say that quality has suffered. That said, there’s still debate around the benefits of working remotely as opposed to working in an office.

How many people are working from home during COVID-19?

As one objective measure of productivity, 77% of remote workers clocked in more hours in 2022 than they did three years earlier (Robert Half, 2023). Though we should note, working longer doesn’t always mean more productivity. In the evolving workforce landscape, remote work has become a focal point for employers and employees. It affects job structures, worker expectations, and various industry policies. The diffusion of the workforce from concentrated business districts to a more dispersed model affects local and state economies. With remote work being so prevalent, we need solid evidence about how it affects people and businesses.

Telecommuting has turned into virtual work, which later evolved into remote work or working from home. The ability to switch among remote options then birthed the hybrid team. Here is a refresher on the lingo for discussing flexible work options and types of workers.

To survive, organizations must continually iterate based on where they are and where they want to be in terms of:

The demand for flexibility in where and how people work has been building for decades. Before the crisis, surveys repeated showed 80% of employees want to work from home at least some of the time. While the experience of working at home during the crisis may not have been ideal as whole families sheltered in place, it will gave people a taste of what could be.

Offering flexible work arrangements and opportunities for professional development are also crucial for keeping remote employees satisfied and committed to their roles. A Buffer survey found that in 43% of companies, employees are split between full-time remote work and office-based work. Fifteen percent work from home as needed, while 9% have a certain number of telecommuting days per month.