Statistics on Remote Work for 2021

According to a FlexJobs survey, 97 percent of workers want some form of remote work post-pandemic, with 58 percent preferring to be full-time remote and 39 percent opting for a hybrid work environment. To provide insight into the broad interest in remote career opportunities amid an uncertain and fast-changing work landscape, FlexJobs has released a report: Remote Work Statistics: Navigating the New Normal, which offers a by-the-numbers look at the current impact of remote work on the workplace.

“The data outlined in this report suggests that even during the most challenging of circumstances, remote work provides important benefits across the board,” said Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “From improved mental health and better work-life balance to increased job satisfaction, the majority of employees have responded very favorably to remote work, with many now strongly inclined to pursue a permanent remote career. As we consider the future of work, it’s clear remote work policies will be critical in shaping the modern workplace,” Sutton concluded.

Key Remote Statistics & Insights

Remote Work Attracts and Retains Talent

• 79% of respondents would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options, according to a FlexJobs survey.
• A separate FlexJobs survey found 44% know at least one person who has quit or is planning to quit because their employers are requiring them to work from the office.
• Additionally, 24% of workers say the ability to work from home is so important they’re willing to take a 10-20% pay cut to work remotely, with 21% willing to give up some vacation time.
• 90% of senior executives now expect to work from home, according to a Talent Works survey of U.S.-based hiring managers.

Remote Work Increases Job Satisfaction

• A CNBC | SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey found those working remotely reported a Workforce Happiness Index score of 75 out of 100, compared to 71 for in-office employees.
• The same survey also found that remote employees were more likely to report being satisfied with their jobs than office-based workers (57% vs 50%).
• By December 2020, employees who were still working remotely had a Workforce Happiness score of 74, but that score was still higher than for in-office workers, who remained at 71.

Remote Work Is Good for Business

• FlexJobs’ survey found 51% report being more productive working from home, and 95% say productivity has been higher or the same while working remotely.
• Some of the top reasons respondents gave for their increased productivity include:
  • Fewer interruptions (68%)
  • More focused time (63%)
  • Quieter work environment (68%)
  • More comfortable workplace (66%)
  • Avoiding office politics (55%)
• Global Workplace Analytics research shows that businesses lose $600 billion a year to workplace distractions and that remote workers are 35-40% more productive than their in-office counterparts.
• Researchers hypothesize that continued remote work could increase overall worker productivity in the U.S. by 5% compared with the pre-pandemic economy.

Remote Work Leads to Better Mental Health

• 70% said a permanent remote job would have a considerable improvement or positive impact on their mental health, according to FlexJobs’ 10th annual survey.
• Additionally for those who have flexible work options, 48% say their work-life balance is excellent or very good, 54% have the emotional support they need at work, compared to 36% and 45%, respectively, for those without flexible work.
• 76% of respondents agree workplace stress affects their mental health, leading to depression or anxiety.
• For 56%, having flexibility in their workday is overwhelmingly listed as the top way workplaces can better support employees.
• 28% felt that increased PTO and better health insurance were the next best ways companies can provide support moving forward.

Remote Workers Save Money

• It’s estimated that people who work from home save, on average, $4,000 a year.
• 75% ranked “cost savings” as the number two benefit of remote work, second only to not having a commute (84%), in FlexJobs’ March-April 2021 survey.
• 38% estimate that they are saving at least $5,000 a year working remotely.
• In the same survey, one out of five estimated that they save more than $200 per week, or $10,000 a year.

Remote Work Is Environmentally-Friendly

• It’s estimated that when 3.9 million employees work from home at least half time, they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking more than 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year.
• By 2025, the projected number of remote workers could reduce commuter miles by 70 to 140 billion every year.
• By making environmentally sound choices, remote workers have the same potential impact on air quality as planting an entire forest of 91 million trees.

Remote Work Is Impacting Real Estate

• 65% of respondents in FlexJobs’ Annual Survey said that they would move or that they would think about moving.
• When asked what factors would most influence a decision to move, the reasons included better quality of life (56%), lower cost of living or housing (45%), and different climate or better weather (35%).
• A Microsoft study found 66% of employers around the world are redesigning their workplaces to accommodate hybrid work arrangements.
• According to Zillow, 4.5% of renters in the U.S. (nearly 2 million renter households) who would otherwise be priced out of their current market can now purchase a starter home somewhere else in the U.S.

Remote Work Is Here to Stay

• According to an Upwork study, it’s estimated nearly 36.2 million Americans could be working remotely by 2025
• The Survey of Business Uncertainty (SBU) found that the anticipated share of days working at home could triple after the pandemic ends, rising from 5.5% to 16.6% of all working days.
• Employers anticipate that 10% of their full-time workforce will be working from home five days a week, compared to 10% of their full-time employees working from home one day a week in 2019.