60 Distant Work Stats to Know in 2024

My first advertising job was as a contract author for an company on the alternative aspect of the world. This additionally occurred to be my first “actual” job and, consequently, my first expertise of distant work.

Since then, I’ve labored with a number of different firms throughout a number of time zones and, in consequence, skilled every thing distant work has to supply — from the challenges of establishing a house workplace to the fun of location independence.

However extra importantly, I’ve additionally gotten to consciously observe the expansion and impression of distant work over time.

On this publish, I’ll be sharing 60 statistics that will help you perceive the evolution, alternatives, and challenges this distinctive mode of labor affords.

Every part is designed to offer extra than simply statistics and as an alternative give you a cohesive, research-backed narrative on every sub-topic.

Desk of Contents

The Introduction and Evolution of Distant Work

• In line with Hubspot, probably the most standard work mannequin right this moment is a hybrid mannequin, which is most well-liked by 41% of staff. That is adopted by the absolutely distant work mannequin (32%), and, lastly, on-site work (27%). Nonetheless, apparently, earlier than 2020, most staff had absolutely on-site jobs with no rapid plans to change to different fashions. So, what modified?
• The 2020 lockdown mandated an entire shift to distant work throughout most industries, introducing many to distant work for the primary time. Consequently, an Owl Labs survey discovered that this expertise led to 70% of staff wanting to take care of a hybrid or distant working association even post-pandemic.
• By 2021, an Accenture examine discovered that 83% of world staff seen this hybrid mannequin of labor (a mixture of distant and on-site work) as preferrred.
• As time went on, employee preferences stored evolving. A 2022 examine discovered that the most well-liked working types shifted a bit from the earlier 12 months. Distant work was favored by 34% in 2021 however dropped to 29% in 2022. Hybrid work went from 31% to 36%, and in-office work went from 29% to 22%.

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• Breaking it down by gender, ladies appeared to favor distant work extra (46%) over males (39%). Alternatively, in-office work appeared extra interesting to males, with 24% preferring it in comparison with 19% of ladies.
• This examine additionally discovered that round 29% of staff modified jobs, with distant staff being twice as possible (37%) to change in comparison with these working in an workplace (21%). The highest causes for altering jobs had been higher pay (84%), higher profession alternatives (82%), and higher work/life steadiness (78%).
• However what was much more attention-grabbing was that in response to individuals within the examine, if the choice to work remotely of their present jobs was taken away, 66% mentioned they might begin in search of a job that supplied extra flexibility, whereas 39% mentioned they might merely stop.
• Equally, one other 2022 survey discovered that 63% of staff would select a greater work-life steadiness over higher pay.
• And these sentiments weren’t short-term. A 2022 examine by Buffer discovered that 98% of respondents needed to work remotely in some capability for the remainder of their careers.
• Equally, one other examine discovered that 88% of staff thought-about hybrid work as a number one profit they’d count on in a brand new job.
• Distant work choices had been so positively acquired that only one% of individuals in a examine by Buffer reported having a detrimental expertise with distant work.
• Moreover, the examine additionally discovered that 98% of distant staff would suggest distant work to others.

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• Research proceed to constantly present that many staff favor a distant or hybrid association over on-site work. As an example, Atlassian’s State of Work examine confirmed a notable shift within the preferences of distant, office-only, and hybrid staff between 2021 and 2022: 22% in 2022 versus 34% in 2021, 35% in 2022 versus 39% in 2021, and 43% in 2022 versus 27% in 2021, respectively.
• General, the hybrid mannequin of distant work seems to be the glad medium between staff and employers, with 45.5% of distant staff having hybrid preparations in comparison with 20.5% who work absolutely from house, in response to a January 2023 survey.

• Earlier than the 2020 shutdown, simply 8% of firms had versatile office insurance policies.
• By 2021, practically two-thirds (62%) had carried out some stage of versatile work. Mid-size firms (501-5,000 staff) particularly, had been notably proactive, with 70% implementing versatile work insurance policies.
• Nonetheless, employer sentiments towards distant work continued to evolve. That very same 12 months, a report by OwlLabs discovered that 73% of those that labored from house throughout the pandemic ultimately returned to the workplace not less than in the future every week.
• In actuality, whereas 74% of firms promised some stage of flexibility in work schedules on the time, 82% had been additionally planning a return to pre-pandemic work schedules after the lockdown.
• By 2022, the State of Distant Work report discovered that solely 31% of employers had been providing absolutely distant working choices, with 41% of small firms (10-50 staff) requiring staff to return to the workplace.
• So, the place precisely does that depart us right this moment? It actually depends upon who you ask. On one hand, 58% of individuals in a McKinsey survey reported having the chance to work at home not less than in the future every week.

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• Alternatively, a number of research have discovered that distant work is the exception and never the norm. In line with a examine by Accenture, as of 2022, 36% of staff worldwide had returned to a totally on-site work mannequin throughout all industries.
• One other survey by Atlassian additionally revealed that 82% of all data staff had some type of “in-office mandate,” whereas 25% of staff who supposedly had the selection to work remotely nonetheless felt stress to enter the workplace.
• Lastly, a 2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey discovered that solely 27.5% of personal sector companies (2.5 million) had staff teleworking all or a few of the time.
• So, how will we interpret this seemingly conflicting information? Properly, all views might have benefit. By analyzing every business individually quite than collectively, the info aligns higher.
• The identical examine by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that skilled and enterprise companies, instructional companies, and wholesale commerce boasted the very best proportion of teleworkers at 67.4%, 49%, 46%, and 39%, respectively. This means that distant work alternatives are merely extra prevalent in sure industries, and examine outcomes will usually range relying on the business surveyed.

• For a lot of staff, the attraction of distant work lies in its flexibility. In line with Hubspot’s Hybrid Work Report, 90% of staff are coping with some stage of burnout and consider that flexibility, particularly in taking day without work, might considerably scale back their stress ranges.
• However flexibility is not nearly once you work. In line with findings from a Buffer examine, the most important distant work advantages for staff embody having the ability to handle their time (22%), select the place they stay (19%), and resolve the place they work (13%).

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• Atlassian’s analysis offers additional perception, exhibiting that the first purpose US data staff favor distant work is that they’re merely happier working from house (47%).
• However past happiness and adaptability, distant staff additionally report greater productiveness ranges. In line with a examine by Owl Labs, a big majority (62%) of staff really feel extra productive when working remotely, in comparison with simply 11% who really feel much less productive.
• A Buffer examine additionally discovered that 70% of staff discover it simpler to focus, 65% handle stress higher, and 50% keep away from distractions higher when working remotely.
• Lastly, whereas the workplace is seen as the most efficient surroundings for sure actions, comparable to assembly new individuals (59%), managing others (51%), and staff conferences (51%), staff are break up on the place they like to innovate and brainstorm. Some thrive within the workplace (39%), whereas others appear to search out their circulation higher at house (37%).

• Distant work, whether or not absolutely distant or hybrid, usually incurs bills that aren’t usually related to conventional work fashions. In line with findings from Buffer’s State of Distant Work Report, 64% of staff indicated that their firms paid for {hardware} comparable to screens, whereas 40% reported that their firms coated prices related to house workplace tools.
• Apparently, house web, which is arguably probably the most essential distant work instrument, is solely coated by 28% of firms.
• One other extra distant working price firms usually should cowl is coworking memberships. 22% of respondents within the Buffer survey indicated that their firms cowl their memberships, whereas 38% expressed a want for his or her firms to take action.
• Now, apart from worker bills, companies additionally want to contemplate how distant work would possibly have an effect on profitability. For instance, HubSpot’s 2024 State of Gross sales Report revealed that 46% of salespeople understand promoting remotely as much less efficient than in-person gross sales.

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• So, what does this imply? Is distant work merely an added expense with no actual advantages to the underside line? Quite the opposite, distant work additionally affords main monetary advantages. In line with a examine by IWG, greater than four-fifths of Chief Monetary Officers (CFOs) (82%) consider that distant work, particularly in a hybrid format, is a cheaper enterprise mannequin in comparison with conventional workplace setups.
• This line of pondering is supported by findings from World Office Analytics, which means that hybrid working preparations can save organizations greater than $11,000 per worker yearly on common.
• However how precisely does distant work ship price financial savings for firms? Firstly, there’s the potential for substantial financial savings on workplace lease. The IWG examine discovered that two-thirds (65%) of CFOs intention to scale back facility spending by greater than 10% per 12 months.
• Equally, one other examine discovered that 60% of U.S. executives plan to scale back workplace house by as much as half or extra.
• The rationale behind these cost-saving measures is obvious. By eliminating or considerably decreasing workplace house necessities, firms can keep away from committing to costly, long-term leases, alter their house necessities as wanted, and luxuriate in enormous price financial savings. As an example, Cisco’s adoption of hybrid working practices has resulted in financial savings of $500 million over the previous 5 years.
• However there’s extra to it than simply saving on workplace prices. Employee prices alone reveal an attention-grabbing development. An Owl Labs examine discovered that greater than half of all staff (52%) could be keen to simply accept a pay reduce of 5% or extra in trade for the flexibleness to decide on their working location. The truth is, 23% indicated they might settle for a pay reduce of 10% or extra for this profit.
• Conversely, if staff had been not allowed to work remotely or in a hybrid setup, 67% would count on a pay enhance to cowl extra commuting bills.
• Lastly, past price concerns, latest analysis carried out by IWG and Arup revealed that hybrid working has the potential to scale back city carbon emissions by 70% within the UK and as much as 87% within the U.S.. These findings recommend that the environmental impression of absolutely distant work might be substantial for companies that select to undertake distant work fashions.

• In line with a latest HubSpot survey, the primary ache level for firms within the distant work period is disconnected programs. Particularly, the survey discovered that the highest drawback for distant firms appears to be difficulties with communication and collaboration between groups.
• However why is that this an issue? One attainable purpose might be how distributed groups are these days. For instance, Buffer’s State of Distant Work survey discovered that 74% of respondents labored in firms that function throughout a number of time zones. Moreover, over half of the distant staff (62%) in that examine reported having individuals of their rapid groups distributed throughout a number of time zones.

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• This distributed setup impacts how distant groups collaborate. At the moment, collaboration primarily happens by means of messaging apps (50%), emails (22%), and conferences (19%), with video calls being the commonest for conferences. Apparently, solely about one-third (36%) of employers have upgraded their video assembly expertise since 2020.
• For digital conferences particularly, a Buffer examine discovered that when taking conferences, most distant staff favor to be on digicam. When requested why, 67% of individuals felt it was simpler to speak once they might see somebody’s expression.
• That mentioned, not all conferences are seen favorably by distant staff. A examine by HubSpot revealed that 70% of staff discover too many calls and conferences disruptive to their focus. Moreover, 58% really feel that not less than half of the conferences they attend might have been dealt with by means of emails as an alternative.
• Furthermore, the identical examine additionally discovered that e-mail was the popular communication platform for a majority of respondents (39%) when requested to decide on one platform for the upcoming 12 months.
• On the aspect of the organizations, a number of research have proven that employers are additionally taking measures to make sure seamless collaboration amongst distant groups. A 2022 examine discovered that roughly half (50%) of employers have supplied coaching to managers on managing distant and hybrid groups.
• Equally, a HubSpot examine discovered that 32% of staff who participated of their Hybrid Work survey had acquired pointers on utilizing unified communication and collaboration instruments. Moreover, 54% had acquired coaching on conducting efficient and inclusive hybrid conferences.
• Lastly, a latest examine additionally discovered that 37% of employers have added or elevated using worker monitoring software program, indicating a rising development in direction of more practical monitoring and administration of distant groups.

• Whereas distant work affords many advantages, it additionally presents a number of challenges. For some distant staff, the wrestle lies in the isolation of staying house too usually. One examine discovered that one in three distant staff reported this as their largest problem, with loneliness following carefully behind at 23%.
• A 2022 Hubspot survey additionally discovered that 40% of distant staff reportedly miss spontaneous, in-person connections with their colleagues,

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• There’s additionally the truth that not each worker thrives in a distant surroundings. A latest examine discovered that just about half of U.S. staff really feel their groups don’t operate successfully in a hybrid surroundings.
• Whereas this might possible be attributed to a number of causes, a 2022 examine discovered that 77% of distant staff who felt much less productive attributed this to elevated distractions at house, which is comprehensible contemplating that 45% of distant staff make the most of multi-purpose areas, comparable to bedrooms or kitchens, for work.
• Separating work and private life will also be troublesome in a distant setting. In a single examine, 81% of distant staff admitted to checking work emails exterior of workplace hours, with 63% doing so on weekends and 34% whereas on trip. Furthermore, 48% usually labored past conventional hours, with 44% reporting elevated work hours in comparison with the earlier 12 months.
• One other examine additionally discovered that just about half (45%) of staff report a rise in work-related stress over the previous 12 months.
• Lastly, one other main problem for distant work adoption appears to be office perceptions. One examine discovered that 49% of staff really feel that managers view in-office staff as tougher working and extra reliable than distant counterparts.
• Equally, one other examine discovered that 10% of staff concern being perceived as much less productive or dedicated in the event that they work remotely.

Navigating The Distant Work Panorama

Whereas distant work presents new and distinctive challenges, with the appropriate strategy and understanding, it could result in extra productive and satisfying working preparations for each staff and employers.

Whether or not you‘re contemplating your first distant function or hiring distant staff members, it’s vital to maintain the stats above in thoughts because the world continues to evolve and embrace flexibility.