Explore remote work statistics on productivity, cost savings, and workforce preferences. See what roles are evolving into global digital jobs in the near future
Remote work was a little-known practice before 2019, but the pandemic changed that. With border closures and shelter-in-place directives worldwide, organizations pivoted to remote working. The old way of working has given way to the new.
In the past year or so, businesses and governments have issued return-to-office orders. A 2023 report showed, however, that managers wished they had access to workplace data before making this decision.
In this article, we’ll share remote work statistics that show why remote working is better. We’ll go over issues like work-life balance, health, and productivity. We’ll discuss how businesses benefit from remote work or hybrid setups. Lastly, we’ll explore what the future holds for the global workforce and remote working.
Let’s start off with remote work statistics on what employees prefer.
In a survey conducted by Buffer, 98% of respondents prefer to work remotely at least part of the time. Ninety-one percent have had a positive experience with remote work.
Employees have very strong feelings about flexible working. Let’s look at some Owl Labs remote work statistics over the years:
Seventy-six percent were even willing to take a pay cut in exchange for flexible working hours.
These remote work statistics from FlexJobs showed a link between working from home and improved health and well-being:
Reduced commute time also resulted in a happier, healthier workforce. A study showed that remote workers saved an average of 72 minutes per day commuting. That’s over an hour that employees spent taking care of loved ones, exercising, and resting.
Other benefits of remote work include less burnout, better food choices, and less anxiety and depression.
Looking after our overall health should be intentional. Read this article on ways to keep remote staff healthy.
Yes, most people seem to be happier working remotely. An overwhelming 96% of employees said that a remote or hybrid setup works best for their mental health.
Yes, in general, remote workers are productive. According to a study done by Kinsey, 83% of employees cited productivity as one of the benefits of remote work. That same study, however, said that only 50% of HR leaders agreed with this view. It seems that answers vary, depending on who you ask.
If you ask Stanford professor Nicholas Bloom, there is some value in what he calls well-organized hybrid environments.
Under this scenario, employees work together onsite on specific days, making full use of their time together. The rest of the time is spent working at home in a more controlled environment. According to Bloom, this setup results in 5% higher productivity.
This could be a good way for traditional in-person organizations to transition to a fully remote setup. You can also make this setup permanent, if it benefits your workforce best. Capture that in writing by creating a remote work policy.
Global Workplace Analytics shared how much businesses can save from having remote work in place. Here are some real-life examples:
The consultancy firm also said that six out of 10 employers have seen the link between remote work and savings.
Remote work also helps with business continuity, allowing the company to operate in the face of:
Employees can continue working if getting to the office isn’t possible. Work disruptions lead to financial losses, so remote working translates to efficiency and savings.
Many organizations have become remote-first after the pandemic. Read about their success in this article on top remote work companies.
The pandemic saw a surge in technology designed to support remote working setups. Some of the tools used by remote teams are:
Some of these tools saw remarkable uptake. For example, Zoom recorded an average of 300 million users in 2020 from 10 million in 2019! Microsoft Teams also saw huge growth, with 145 million users worldwide.
These tools have helped remote workers in many ways, such as:
Here’s how to maximize technology in connecting a global team.
According to Statista, close to 68% of tech professionals worldwide work mostly or fully remote. The finance industry comes next at 50.6%, followed by the insurance industry at 48.7%.
This comes as no surprise; remote work is common among jobs that use technology more. Tech professionals only need a computer and internet connection as the basics to get work done. Many tech workers are digital nomads, traveling the world as they work.
If you’d like your company to attract top tech talent, go beyond offering remote work and welcome digital nomads to your fold. Here’s how you can support digital nomads at your company.
We've seen how organizations worldwide adopted remote work during the pandemic. Some countries have kept this practice; in some cases, we’ve even seen an increase in remote work.
The remote work statistics in a working paper from the US National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) state that:
The study also points to the effects of the pandemic as a major factor. The UK, for example, had one of the longest lockdowns among the other countries listed here. New Zealand, meanwhile, didn’t feel worsening effects of the pandemic until 2022.
Despite these differences in remote work statistics across locations, one thing is clear. Countries have the capability to adopt some form of remote or hybrid work setup. The pandemic has proven that. There’s no reason to go back to old ways of working; it’s time to look to the future.
In a 2024 white paper, the World Economic Forum discusses the rise of global digital jobs and opportunities for working remotely. They predict that, by 2030, there will be around 92 million global digital jobs that can be done remotely anywhere. That’s a 25% rise from 73 million in 2024.
The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Capgemini, forecasts a rise in global digital jobs to approximately 92 million by 2030.
— HRD America (@HRDAmerica) August 14, 2024
Read more: https://t.co/qUbQDTmZ78
The WEF also says that there are 218 jobs right now that could become global digital jobs in the future. These include roles in:
This opens a wealth of possibilities for professionals worldwide. With proper training and access to technology, employees could have wider career options.
Employers have much to gain, too. They can tap into a wider pool of talent regardless of location, helping them find the perfect employee for the role.
Countries around the world can benefit as well. Jobs are created for talent in emerging economies, while labor gaps are filled in developed countries. Labor shortages in New Zealand, for example, could benefit from hiring remote employees to fill job vacancies.
The data we shared shows that remote work benefits employees and organizations. They also reveal a huge potential for growth.
To be able to access global digital jobs, the WEF suggests these action points for governments and organizations:
The WEF also encourages employers to improve workforce management, expand recruitment, and make remote/hybrid work available.
That last point – making remote or hybrid work available – is an important step. Organizations can do this right now, and the numbers show that this is the right move.
Are there any remote work statistics you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments below
