New data from FlexJobs reveals remote work’s wide impact on professionals, employers, and world of work
FlexJobs®, the leading career service for remote and hybrid work, today announces the release of the 2024 Remote Work Stats & Trends Report. With the majority of people wanting a fully remote (51%) or hybrid (46%) job, the new report dives into the latest data, statistics, and insights surrounding the state of remote work.
“Whether you’re embracing a hybrid or fully remote model, it’s clear that the future of work is rooted in flexibility,” said Sara Sutton, Founder of FlexJobs. “As demonstrated in our annual report, the far-reaching impacts of remote work benefits both employees and companies by helping build a more productive, empowered, and resilient workforce overall,” Sutton stated.
Outlining the current state of remote work, FlexJobs’ 2024 Remote Work Stats & Trends Report provides a by-the-numbers look into the broad impact of remote work on key areas including job and hiring trends, employee wellbeing and productivity, multi-generational workforces, the future of work, and more.
2024 State of Remote Work Overview
- FlexJobs’ Remote Work & RTO Pulse Report found that 63% of people say “having remote work” is what’s most important to them in a job, even ahead of salary (61%), having a flexible schedule (55%), work-life boundaries (54%), or having a good boss (48%).
- According to FlexJobs’ Work Insights Survey, 95% of workers want some form of remote work. More specifically:
- 54% want to work from home full-time
- 41% say hybrid is their ideal work arrangement
- Only 5% prefer full-time office work
- Women prefer fully remote work environments more than men, with 58% identifying remote arrangements as the ideal way to work, compared to 42% of men who want to work from home full time.
- A Gallup survey found that 8 in 10 people are working hybrid or remote.
- Owl Labs found 67% of managers think it likely that within the next year, their employer will be changing their policies surrounding remote and hybrid work, despite 79% of managers stating that their teams are more productive when working remotely.
Remote Talent Attraction & Retention
- FlexJobs’ Remote Work & RTO Pulse Report revealed 56% of professionals know someone who has or plans to quit due to return-to-office mandates.
- In a FlexJobs survey, the top reasons workers said they’re interested in making a career change were:
- Remote work options (50%)
- Higher pay (48%)
- Better work-life balance (46%)
- Gallup found that employers benefit from a larger talent pool, better employee value proposition, and less turnover.
Employer Benefits & Cost Savings
- Research from Global Workplace Analytics has shown that businesses lose $600 billion a year to workplace distractions.
- Remote work helps reduce attrition and unscheduled absences and increases productivity. In fact, a FlexJobs survey found 77% of working professionals state they are more productive working remotely than in a traditional office.
- In FlexJobs’ Generations at Work Report, 80% of Gen Z and Gen X and 76% of millennials stated they are more productive working from home than in the office.
- FlexJobs’ Work Insights Survey found nearly one-third (30%) of working professionals think remote and hybrid work positively impacts their career growth.
Remote Worker Financial Savings
- FlexJobs estimates that people who work from home save, on average, $6,000 or more a year, and employers can save up to $11,000 for each remote employee.
- FlexJobs’ Remote Work & RTO Pulse Report found 63% of working professionals are willing to take a salary decrease to work remotely, with 17% stating they’d take a 20% decrease in salary.
- However, pay cuts may not be necessary, as WFHResearch has shown remote workers make an average of $19,000 more than their in-office counterparts.
Remote Employee Mental & Physical Health
- In FlexJobs’ Remote Work & RTO Pulse Report, the vast majority of respondents believed remote work positively impacts employees’ mental (93%) and physical health (90%).
- According to FlexJobs’ 2023 Work Insights Survey, 96% of workers believe a remote or hybrid work arrangement would be best for their mental health.
- The same survey reported that 48% of respondents said “decreased stress levels” was the top health benefit from remote work. Additional impacts cited:
- Less burnout (36%)
- Healthier food choices (35%)
- Reduced anxiety and depression (34%)
- Improved overall mental health (33%)
- Improved sleep (32%)
- Increased exercise (30%)
- Improved overall physical health (28%)
- In a FlexJobs survey with Mental Health America, respondents with flexible work options reported better mental health than employees without access, who are nearly two times more likely to have poor or very poor mental health.
Challenges of Remote Work
- FlexJobs’ Work Insights Survey found some of the biggest remote work challenges included:
- Not getting out often enough (28%)
- Overworking/working more (28%)
- Working across time zones (19%)
- Developing strong relationships at work (19%)
- Troubleshooting technology issues (18%)
- Dealing with non-work distractions (17%)
- Being “invisible” to the boss (16%)
Multi-Generational Support of Remote Work
- According to FlexJobs’ Generations at Work Report, Gen Z (40%), millennials (56%), and Gen X (75%) are in support of remote and hybrid work options.
- Almost half of millennials (45%) and roughly two-thirds of Gen X (62%) said their ideal work arrangement is working remotely 100% of the time.
- While only 22% of Gen Z workers preferred a remote-only arrangement, they heavily support a hybrid environment (73%).
- The same survey found that only 11% of Gen Z are working remotely full-time, compared to 27% of millennials and 42% of Gen X.
- The lack of remote work for Gen Z could be why they feel too much of their identity is tied to their job (88%), while it has less of an impact on millennials (68%) and Gen X (52%).
Future Projections: Remote Work Is Here to Stay
Over the years, FlexJobs has seen an increase in both remote and hybrid job postings. Specifically, the following career fields and companies have consistently posted high volumes of remote and hybrid roles and are considered strong prospects for job seekers.