This is a complete list of up-to-date Remote Work statistics since the COVID-19 lockdown.
2020 has been a rollercoaster year, and it’s not done yet.
One of the biggest lifestyle changes has been the impact of lockdown orders, which forced workers all over the world to abandon their offices and, where possible, carry out their work from home.
For some, this was an easy transition.
For others, the shift to a remote work environment has been an ongoing challenge.
However…
Even before 2020 reared its ugly head, remote work was a trend that was fast gaining pace.
COVID-19 has accelerated this trend.
We’ve pulled together this collection of statistics to shine a light on remote work to better understand the impact and implications of remote work as we step forward from the pandemic into our brave new world.
Scroll down, and Let’s see those stats!
The good, the bad, and the ugly…
Remote Work Pre-COVID and Today
At the time of writing, we are not yet in a ‘post-COVID’ world. However, the pandemic has thrown the world into the biggest remote work experiment, and the impact of this experience is continuing to unfold day by day. Here are some of the latest studies that have been conducted with relation to the current situation, and what it means for remote work.
A study by Robert Walters (mid 2020) reported on the state of remote work in the UK after lockdown was initiated on 23rd March 2020:
- Although 23% of professionals reported lower productivity when working from home, 32% said their productivity remained the same, and 45% believe that they got more work done when working from home. This was confirmed by their employers, with 78% of employers seeing equal or increased productivity during the lockdown.
- Not having to commute is the main reason for increased productivity, with 29% of workers using this time to fit some extra work into their schedules.
- As for challenges, getting the required IT hardware – such as laptops – in place (59%), IT infrastructure & security (28%), and technology software such as Zoom (15%) were the biggest impact to companies when transitioning to remote working.
These findings are from the Global Work-from-Home Experience Survey, 2020 (note, this research does not include self-employed workers):
- During the pandemic, 88% of employees are working from home on a regular basis. Before the pandemic, this figure was 31%.
- In light of the sudden shift to home-based work, 70% of managers say that working from home is the same or better for their team’s work performance, on average.
- Before COVID-19, at least 31% of people wanted to work from home at least 1 day per week. During the pandemic, this has risen to 76%.
Further research from Gartner, Inc. 2020, which polled 317 CFOs and finance leaders, found:
- 74% said they will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post-COVID 19, and nearly a quarter of respondents said they would move at least 20% to a permanently remote position.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) polled 12,000 employees from the end of May through mid-June in the US, Germany, and India. Their research found:
- The pandemic forced employers to move an unprecedented share of employees — some 40% — to remote working.
- 75% of employees said that during the first few months of the pandemic they were able to maintain or improve productivity on their individual tasks.
- 51% of all respondents said they have been able to maintain or improve their productivity on collaborative tasks.
How many people are going back to the office versus continuing to work from home?
This varies significantly depending on location, as many countries have enforced strict measures with some going back into ‘lockdown’ in an attempt to limit the virus spread.
- UK stats suggest that in August, only 13% of people had returned to their offices, while as much as 40% of workers had returned to their offices in smaller cities and towns, such as Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
- US figures suggest a much faster return to the office. By September, the national return-to-work average was around 25%. At regional level, about 40% of workers had returned to offices in Dallas, 32% in Los Angeles, but only 10% in New York.
Key Remote Work Stats
Before COVID-19, remote work was a trend that was already happening. Much of the current research related to remote work is linked to trends pre-2020, and we can expect many of these statistics to accelerate as we move through 2020 and into 2021.
- Analysis of the American Community Survey (2005-2018) by Global Workplace Analytics found that regular work-at-home has grown 173% since 2005, 11% faster than the rest of the workforce (which grew 15%) and nearly 47x faster than the self-employed population (which grew by 4%).
- From 2016 to 2017, remote work grew 7.9%. Over the last five years it has grown 44% and over the previous 10 years it grew 91% [FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, 2020]
- 77% of people in the U.S. said they work the same or more hours, and 69% said their productivity levels are the same or higher [Citrix, Remote Work: The New Normal? 2020]
- By 2028, 73% of all departments will have remote workers [Upwork, 2019]. In light of COVID-19, this figure could well be much higher.
- Two to three days a week seems to be the sweet spot that allows for a balance of concentrative work (at home) and collaborative work (at the office) [Global Workplace Analytics, 2020]
- 98% of remote workers want to continue to work remotely (at least for some of the time) for the rest of their careers [Buffer, State of Remote Work 2020]
- The large majority of US employees (79-87%, depending on the sector) say they would like to work remotely at least some of the time [Telework in the 21st Century, 2019]
How Does Remote Work, Work?
Remote work and working from home are terms that are often used interchangeably. However, in many cases remote work is, or wasn’t, conducted at home; prior to COVID-19, it was often conducted in coffee shops or coworking spaces. Now, it is more likely to be conducted in the home or in a private office.
The following studies were conducted prior to COVID-19:
- Desks in the US are empty on average 40-50% of normal working hours. When employees are not in their offices, they are working in conference rooms, in clients’ offices, at coffee shops, in their homes, in the car, at airports and anywhere there is WiFi connectivity [Telework in the 21st Century, 2019]
- 80% of remote workers cite home as their primary touchdown base, followed by a company office (9%) and a coworking space (7%) [Buffer, State of Remote Work 2020]
- For 67% of people, work-life balance is the reason they are seeking a flexible job [FlexJobs’ Work-Life-Relationship, 2020]
Remote Work Challenges
During COVID-19, remote work has enabled many people to continue working and for some, it has enabled them to fulfil a long-term wish to work more flexibly. But for other people, working remotely is not a positive experience.
The following studies were conducted prior to COVID-19:
- 19% of remote workers say that they struggle with loneliness when working remotely and 22% say that ‘switching off’ after work is their biggest challenge [Merchant Savvy]
- The biggest challenges for remote workers during hybrid meetings are interruptions/being talked over (67%) and IT issues during meetings (59%) [Owl Labs, 2019]
- 38% of remote workers and 15% of remote managers received no training on how to work remotely [Owl Labs, 2019]
Further research by Buffer, State of Remote Work 2020, found:
- 11% would like to work remotely less often.
- Working from home is not necessarily a benefit – only 7% cited this as their biggest benefit and 12% cite “distractions at home” as a problem.
- Finding WiFi isn’t generally a problem, but 20% find it tricky to maintain effective collaboration or communication, and a further 10% cite different time zones as a challenge.
Benefits of Remote Work
Even before COVID-19, remote work trends were gathering pace. For years, companies have been embracing this style of work to enable them to hire talent from anywhere, to reduce workplace overhead, and to allow staff to work more flexibly and, therefore, encourage more engagement and productivity.
The following studies were conducted prior to COVID-19:
- 78% of people cited flexible schedules and telecommuting as the most effective non monetary ways to retain employees, up from 67% in 2018 (Crain’s Future of Work survey, 2019)
- 4 out of every 5 respondents stated that, given two similar job offers, they would turn down the one that didn’t offer them flexible working [IWG, 2019]
- Among performance-based remote work statistics, 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their company because of greater flexibility [FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, 2020]
- 85% of respondents confirm that productivity has increased in their business as a result of greater flexibility [IWG, 2019]
- Remote workers cite “flexible schedule” (32%), “flexibility to work from anywhere” (26%) and “not having to commute” (21%) as their top benefits of remote work [Buffer, State of Remote Work 2020]
- 90% of employees say allowing for more flexible work arrangements and schedules would increase employee morale [FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, 2020]
- 85% of over 15,000 global businesses confirmed that greater location flexibility leads to an increase in productivity [Merchant Savvy]
- 77% say allowing employees to work remotely may lead to lower operating costs [FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics, 2020]
The Link Between Remote Work and Wellness
For many people, long commutes and days spent working in an office aren’t conducive to personal wellbeing. On the flip side, working alone at home can amplify feelings of isolation and loneliness, which if left unchecked can lead to serious mental health concerns. Balance is key, and while some people thrive in remote work positions, others require greater levels of support from their managers.
The following studies were conducted prior to COVID-19:
- 41% say they would take a 10% pay cut for an organization that cares more about their wellness [Staples Workplace Survey, 2019]
- In the same study, 78% of employees feel their employers have a responsibility to keep them mentally and physically well [Staples Workplace Survey, 2019]
- When working remotely, 20% cite “loneliness” as a challenge and 18% find it difficult to unplug [Buffer, State of Remote Work 2020]
- 84% reported that having a flexible job would help them better manage their mental health [FlexJobs’ Work-Life-Relationship, 2020]
- Among the top reasons people choose remote work, 78% of people say it’s for “less stress” [Owl Labs, 2019]
The Future of Remote Work
The future of work is a journey. One thing that we’ve learned from the pandemic is that the way we work is rapidly adaptable and is constantly evolving.
So what comes next? One thing’s for sure, many people won’t go back to their 9-5 office job.
People and companies are evaluating their choices about where and how they want to work, which comes with new expectations about flexibility, working conditions and work/life balance.
- Slack’s Future Forum research of 4,700 knowledge workers found the majority never want to go back to the old way of working. Only 12% want to return to full-time office work.
- The same report also found that 72% want a hybrid remote-office model moving forward.
BCG’s Workplace of the Future survey reveals that most organizations believe their future workforce will be much more remote than ever before, but many favor a hybrid approach:
- For 37% of companies, it is expected that more than 25% of their employees will work in hybrid models that combine remote and onsite work.
Remote work has enabled people and companies to ‘muddle through’ the current unprecedented situation. However, whether it’s the right choice long-term depends on the individual make-up of each company, and the individuals they employ.
“Having more or less remote work is not a ‘point change’ in an otherwise stable system — work from home is a system in and of itself, with many interfaces and interdependencies, both human and technological.”
HBR, Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz, July 20, 2020
