30+ fascinating remote work statistics to know in 2023

In a pre-pandemic world, only 5% of employees undertook remote work. Now, with global disruption behind us, remote working isn’t disappearing anytime soon. And for good reason.

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In this article, we look at the remote work statistics showing why many organizations now opt for remote work as standard. 

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Top 5 remote work statistics for quick reference

Looking for a remote work stat to support your cause? Here are key facts:

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• 87% of people will take the chance to work flexibly if given it.
• Remote workers are 35-30% more productive than their in-office counterparts. 
• 84% of employees feel a remote or hybrid job makes them happier. 
• It’s estimated remote employees save an average of $6,000 or more a year.
• The hybrid work model is expected to increase from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. 

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The current state of remote working: in stats

While remote working rates had been increasing gradually pre-2019, it is no surprise that these numbers grew dramatically in the face of enforced isolation of Covid-19. When it comes to covid remote work statistics, in the UK, for example, as many as 38% of employees were reported to work from home exclusively. While in the US, the number of full-time workers working from home was thought to be as high as 70% at the peak of the crisis.

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By spring 2022, with life returning somewhat back to normality, McKinsey’s American Opportunity & Remote Work Survey found 58% of Americans said they still had the chance to work from home at least one day per week. While 35% of employees have the option to work from home full time, and 90% of employees had the opportunity to work under a hybrid work model.

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The same survey also revealed that 87% of people (across widespread demographics, geographies, and occupations) would take the chance to work flexibly if given it.

Remote work trends across the world

When it comes to remote work trends globally, the most interesting finding is the impact remote working has had on The Great Resignation - with remote-first organizations being least often impacted. 

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According to Upwork work statistics, remote work has also sparked a global movement of employees. 2.4% of people, around 4.9 million Americans, said they had already moved due to remote working opportunities since 2020. Additionally, 23% of people said they are moving 4 hours from their employer location, with commutable distance no longer a concern. While the number of full-time employees working remotely from a different country is now as high as 44%.

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This surge in remote work trends has also led to a growing interest in hiring a virtual assistant to manage various tasks efficiently and remotely, further demonstrating the expanding landscape of remote work dynamics. As businesses continue to adapt to remote work environments, the demand for virtual assistants is expected to rise, offering opportunities for both employers and remote workers alike.

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Looking at the country-by-country comparison, Coresignal reported that the UK had the highest rate of remote job roles in Europe as of March 2022. However, in terms of employees working from home at least once a week, an Ifop study revealed Germany comes out on top (50%), followed by Italy (50%), the UK (43%), and Spain (36%). France lags with just a 26% remote working rate.

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Japan is another location where the remote work market is slim, with an Indeed Study showing no uptick between January 2020 and September 2021. 

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As for the reasons for remote working, PEW research revealed 61% of people now say they are choosing not to go into their workplace rather than it being a necessity, as was the case during the pandemic. 

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Must-read statistics on the benefits of remote work

With 4 in 5 US employers believing remote work is a success, here are the stats showing how effective remote working is:

• 52% of professionals believe the biggest benefit of remote working to be increased productivity. In a PwC remote work survey, 30-35% of remote workers were considered more productive than their in-office counterparts. 
• According to the FlexJobs’ 2022 Career Pulse Survey, 84% of people said a remote or hybrid job made them happier. 
• 77% of employees with mental health issues said remote or hybrid helped them better manage their well-being.
• It’s estimated remote employees save an average of $6,000 or more a year.
• When 3.9 million employees work remotely at least half of the time, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by the equivalent of over 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year.
• Remote working instills optimism, with 51.49% of remote workers feeling positive about the stability and future of their careers and professional lives. 

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The challenges of remote work - stats worth considering 

Despite the merits, statistics show there are real challenges to weigh up too:

• 40% of full-time remote workers report unplugging after work hours to be the hardest part of their virtual work environment. 
• 67% of employees aged 18-34 found it harder to build relationships with work colleagues since working remotely. 
• 54% of employees attribute remote working as the main cause of drifting apart from work colleagues.
• Employers find company culture hard to cultivate too. With 95% of company executives believing employees need to be in-office to maintain a strong company culture.
• According to SHRM remote work statistics, remote employees are working longer, with more time spent in meetings.

For tips on overcoming the team building challenges of remote working, Gomada has loads of virtual team building ideas and workplace team building activities to help.

Future trends in remote work

Overall, the proportion of organizations reporting using, or intending to include, remote working as a permanent business model increased slightly from 16% in autumn 2020 to 23% in early April 2022. 

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While Gartner remote work statistics from 2022 predicted remote workers will represent only 9% of all employees worldwide by the end of 2023. The future of the hybrid work model is expected to increase from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. 

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And according to FlexJobs’ Employee Engagement Report, 48% of employers are maintaining some form of remote work for their workforce. In fact, remote working is proving so popular 63% of global workers surveyed said they would “absolutely” look for a new role if they couldn’t continue to work remotely. 

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With all these stats supporting a legitimate future for remote working as standard, is it time to investigate creating a positive remote working environment? 

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If so, give our blogs on establishing a great remote work culture and how to increase employee retention of remote workers a read. Plus, don’t forget the one thing underpinning all team success - remote and otherwise - and that’s employee engagement! We’ve got articles to help with that too:

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• Employee engagement solutions: 10 platforms to consider
• The absolute best employee engagement apps
• Our top virtual employee engagement platforms of 2023

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References

• https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pb-0049/
• https://owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2021 
• https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/real-estate/our-insights/americans-are-embracing-flexible-work-and-they-want-more-of-it 
• https://www.upwork.com/research/future-workforce-report-2022
• https://coresignal.com/blog/remote-work-trends-during-covid-19/
• https://www.jean-jaures.org/publication/pratiques-et-representations-associees-au-teletravail-en-europe/ 
• https://www.hiringlab.org/2021/12/16/will-remote-work-persist-after-the-pandemic/ 
• https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/us-remote-work-survey.html 
• https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/costs-benefits 
• https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/work-life-balance-or-better-pay-two-thirds-choose-balance
• https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/does-working-remotely-save-you-money
• https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-and-the-environment-data-companies-hiring/
• https://www.virtualvocations.com/blog/annual-statistical-remote-work-reports/remote-work-wellness-survey-report-2020/#:~:text=Respondents%20who%20work%20from%20home,onsite%20workers%20(81.58%25)
• https://remote.co/remote-workers-unplugging-after-work/
• https://hrnews.co.uk/survey-reveals-81-of-younger-workers-fear-loneliness-from-long-term-home-working/
• https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/us-remote-work-survey.html
• https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/ishybridworkingheretostay/2022-05-23
• https://www.business.att.com/learn/research-reports/is-corporate-america-ready-for-the-future-of-work.html
• https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/employee-engagement-report-job-satisfaction-work-flexibility/
• https://remote.co/report-80-say-salary-isnt-keeping-up-with-inflation/ 
• https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/02/16/covid-19-pandemic-continues-to-reshape-work-in-america/
• https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-03-01-gartner-forecasts-39-percent-of-global-knowledge-workers-will-work-hybrid-by-the-end-of-2023
• https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-news/pages/remote-work-is-here-for-good.aspx 

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Love all things stats? See our articles on employee engagement statistics and job satisfaction statistics. 

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