Remote Work From Home Statistics & Trends [2024 Update]

Remote work has taken the global corporate sector by a storm, forcing more and more employers to jump on the “remote” bandwagon. In this historical shift to work from anywhere trends, office workers are being set free of the corporate shackles while large centralized offices seem to be a thing of the past.

According to a recent Gallup report, 7 in 10 U.S. white-collar workers continue working remotely.

Are you an employee struggling to adjust to the paradigm shift or a business owner looking into the dominant work at home trends and remote hiring statistics to improve standard practices?

Regardless of what category you fit into, here are a few highlights comprising the most critical remote work statistics covered in this article for you to work through:

  • Working remotely has increased by 159% since 2009
  • 99% of people would likely prefer working remotely for a lifetime
  • 88% of the organizations have made remote work mandatory
  • US companies will save $500 B with remote work in the long-run
  • 65% of remote workers consent to a 5% pay cut to continue working remotely
  • Remote worker’s earnings exceed that of the on-site workers by $100,000

Here is our roundup of 19 interesting remote work from home trends and statistics that present an insight into the state of hybrid work models – blending office and remote work – and what’s next:

Working remotely has increased by 159% since 2009.

Source: Global Workplace Analytics ^

Employers and working from home have their own reasons for doing so. If you think this is just because of the pandemic, it even showed a tremendous increase since 2009.

Though the COVID-19 global pandemic has caused more companies and businesses to have their employees work from home, working remotely is not a new thing. In fact, many workers and even business owners are still planning to keep remote work even after COVID-19.

According to Global Workplace Analytics, two main reasons are technology advancements allowing people to perform tasks anywhere and the growing love of people to maintain work-life balance and flexibility.

99% of people would likely prefer working remotely for a lifetime.

Source: Buffer ^

This is one of the most interesting statistics in today’s remote work arena. People tend to love the flexibility, freedom, and work-life balance over the years. If only they have the opportunity to work from home for the rest of their lives, even part time, they will surely go for it. This proves that working remotely is not just a fad but an amazing opportunity for everyone.

There are many other benefits that remote work can give to workers and employers alike. For some, these even pose challenges. However, the challenges or drawbacks are very limited compared to the benefits that work from home can offer.

Most remote workers belong to the top 3 industries: 15% from healthcare, 10% from technology, and 9% from financial services.

Source: Owl Labs ^

These industries utilize the power of technology and such digital marketing aspects as web design, content creation, and web development. Healthcare dominates other industries here. 

The bottom line is that home-based opportunities are not just limited to the top industries mentioned here. Companies are always looking for ways to handle their businesses remotely to save money and even energy.

73% of all departments are expected to have home-based employees or independent contractors by 2028.

Source: Upwork ^

As predicted, all teams are expected to have 73% of remote workers by 2028. This huge increase in just a few years from now will greatly mean more flexible job opportunities. This also implies that telecommuting is becoming more popular even in various industries across the globe.

Cities having high income levels have more remote job opportunities.

Source: Pragati ^

People living in cities having higher Income Trend Scores can easily afford the required software and hardware necessary to get the job done. These are likely preferred by people having desk jobs that offer easy access to remote work positions.

65% workers in the US are willing to take a 5% pay cut to remain fully remote.

Source: Breeze ^

According to a survey of 1,000 U.S workers conducted by Breeze, the majority of participants agreed to a pay cut in exchange for a fully remote position in the long run.

Workers are spending 30 minutes less talking about non-work topics.

Source: Airtasker ^

A 2020 survey by Airtasker showed that the employees working from home were spending up to 30 minutes less discussing non-work topics. They reported facing fewer distractions from their colleagues due to the remote work situation.

A Deloitte survey found “maintaining culture” was the top managerial concern in remote work conditions.

Source: Deloitte ^

A Deloitte survey of 275 executives, upkeeping the organizational culture emerged as the biggest concern. The concern factored in the development of their remote/hybrid office strategies.

83% workers think of a hybrid work model as optimal in the future.

Source: Accenture ^

In a survey on the future of work, 83% of 9,000 workers thought of a hybrid work model as crucial. The report suggests lengthy daily commutes and longer hours at work be the cause of the widespread sentiment.

77% remote workers claim a productivity boost when working from home.

Source: CoSo Cloud ^

Something deemed to be laughable pre-COVID has quickly become a glaring reality – an uptick in productivity arising from working from home.

CoSo Cloud’s Remote Collaborative Worker Survey attributes this finding to less stress, better health, and higher motivation levels.

Remote workers make $100,000/year more than the on-site workers.

Source: Owl Labs ^

The Owl Lab’s State of Remote work report revealed that remote workers earn up to $100,000 more than their on-site counterparts, which is more than two times.

20% of employees working remotely, report loneliness as their greatest challenge.

Source: Buffer ^

Remote work comes with its drawbacks, and a lack of in-person communication is one of them. Buffer’s state of remote work tools report finds that employees feel dissatisfied owing to little to no personal interactions.

54% of IT professionals believe that remote workers present a greater security risk than the onsite employees.

Source: OpenVPN ^

Since organizations maintain lesser control over employees working off-site, the security infrastructure becomes vulnerable. Such was the finding of an OpenVPN’s Remote Workforce Cybersecurity Survey, whereby IT professionals’ exhibited concern over the security challenges arising from remotely connected employees.

68% hiring managers say that working remotely works better for them.

Source: Upwork ^

According to a report on the growth of remote teams by Upwork – the freelance marketplace giant, hiring managers report less nonessential meetings and enhanced schedule flexibility as the reasons for the success of remote work.    

According to a survey of 669 CEOs, 78 percent were of the view that remote collaboration should be considered a long-term business strategy.

Source: Flexjobs ^

If looked at from a long-term perspective, remote working is highly feasible since it helps cut costs. It also allows businesses to deploy large workforces without allocating funds for office space, giving an insight into why most CEOs view it favorably.

88 percent of organizations made it mandatory or encouraged their employees to work from home post COVID-19.

Source: Gartner ^

According to a Gartner survey, 88 percent of companies worldwide have mandated or encouraged their employees to work from home since the virus began spreading. Additionally, 97 percent of the organizations immediately halted all work-related travel.

72% employees wish to continue working from home even if they could return to the office.

Source: Apollotechnical.com ^

72%of employees and entrepreneurs surveyed said they want to work from home at least two days a week even once workplaces safely reopen and they could return to the office full time.

US companies can expect to save over $500B a Year with remote work.

Source: Staffingindustry ^

Notwithstanding the initial Capital expenditures (CapEx) arising out of the shift to remote work, US companies stand to benefit financially. However, it would require the successful implementation of a hybrid work model, according to Global workplace analytics. 

Remote work will reduce the commuting miles by 70 to 140 billion.

Source: KPMG ^

According to a research report by the accounting firm KPMG, with an estimated 13 to 27 million people working from their homes, commuting miles could be cut by 70 to 140 billion annually by 2025.

Wrap Up

Working from home statistics show that remote work has brought about unprecedented results and has proven to be of great potential. As obvious from the remote working statistics above, the autonomy, independence, and greater inclusion of women and the disabled workforce point to a future where hybrid workplaces will be commonplace.

Ahsan is a writer at Website Rating who covers a broad spectrum of modern technology topics. His articles delve into SaaS, digital marketing, SEO, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, offering readers comprehensive insights and updates on these rapidly evolving fields.

The "WSR Team" is the collective group of expert editors and writers specializing in technology, internet security, digital marketing, and web development. Passionate about the digital realm, they produce well-researched, insightful, and accessible content. Their commitment to accuracy and clarity makes Website Rating a trusted resource for staying informed in the dynamic digital world.

Lindsay Liedke

Lindsay is the Chief Editor at Website Rating, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the site's content. She leads a dedicated team of editors and technical writers, focusing on areas such as productivity, online learning, and AI writing. Her expertise ensures the delivery of insightful and authoritative content in these evolving fields.

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