60 Distant Work Stats to Know in 2024

My first advertising and marketing job was as a contract author for an company on the alternative facet 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 all the pieces distant work has to supply — from the challenges of organising a house workplace to the thrill 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 provides.

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, essentially the most in style work mannequin at present is a hybrid mannequin, which is most well-liked by 41% of staff. That is adopted by the totally distant work mannequin (32%), and, lastly, on-site work (27%). Nevertheless, apparently, earlier than 2020, most staff had totally on-site jobs with no speedy plans to modify 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 research discovered that 83% of worldwide employees considered this hybrid mannequin of labor (a mixture of distant and on-site work) as superb.
• As time went on, employee preferences stored evolving. A 2022 research discovered that the most well-liked working kinds shifted a bit from the earlier yr. 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, girls appeared to favor distant work extra (46%) over males (39%). Then again, in-office work appeared extra interesting to males, with 24% preferring it in comparison with 19% of girls.
• This research additionally discovered that round 29% of employees modified jobs, with distant employees being twice as probably (37%) to modify in comparison with these working in an workplace (21%). The highest causes for altering jobs have been higher pay (84%), higher profession alternatives (82%), and higher work/life steadiness (78%).
• However what was much more attention-grabbing was that in keeping with individuals within the research, if the choice to work remotely of their present jobs was taken away, 66% stated they might begin searching for a job that supplied extra flexibility, whereas 39% stated they might merely give up.
• Equally, one other 2022 survey discovered that 63% of employees would select a greater work-life steadiness over higher pay.
• And these sentiments weren’t short-term. A 2022 research by Buffer discovered that 98% of respondents wished to work remotely in some capability for the remainder of their careers.
• Equally, one other research discovered that 88% of employees thought of hybrid work as a number one profit they’d count on in a brand new job.
• Distant work choices have been so positively obtained that just one% of individuals in a research by Buffer reported having a adverse expertise with distant work.
• Moreover, the research additionally discovered that 98% of distant employees would advocate distant work to others.

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• Research proceed to constantly present that many employees desire a distant or hybrid association over on-site work. For example, Atlassian’s State of Work research confirmed a notable shift within the preferences of distant, office-only, and hybrid employees 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 employees and employers, with 45.5% of distant employees having hybrid preparations in comparison with 20.5% who work totally from residence, in keeping with 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 applied some degree of versatile work. Mid-size firms (501-5,000 staff) particularly, have been notably proactive, with 70% implementing versatile work insurance policies.
• Nevertheless, employer sentiments towards distant work continued to evolve. That very same yr, a report by OwlLabs discovered that 73% of those that labored from residence throughout the pandemic finally returned to the workplace no less than someday every week.
• In actuality, whereas 74% of firms promised some degree of flexibility in work schedules on the time, 82% have 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 have been providing totally distant working choices, with 41% of small firms (10-50 staff) requiring staff to return to the workplace.
• So, the place precisely does that go away us at present? 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 no less than someday every week.

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• Then again, a number of research have discovered that distant work is the exception and never the norm. In line with a research by Accenture, as of 2022, 36% of employees worldwide had returned to a totally on-site work mannequin throughout all industries.
• One other survey by Atlassian additionally revealed that 82% of all information employees had some type of “in-office mandate,” whereas 25% of employees who supposedly had the selection to work remotely nonetheless felt strain 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 number of the time.
• So, how will we interpret this seemingly conflicting knowledge? Nicely, all views might have benefit. By analyzing every trade individually fairly than collectively, the info aligns higher.
• The identical research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that skilled and enterprise providers, academic providers, and wholesale commerce boasted the very best proportion of teleworkers at 67.4%, 49%, 46%, and 39%, respectively. This implies that distant work alternatives are merely extra prevalent in sure industries, and research outcomes will typically range relying on the trade surveyed.

• For a lot of employees, the enchantment of distant work lies in its flexibility. In line with Hubspot’s Hybrid Work Report, 90% of staff are coping with some degree of burnout and imagine that flexibility, particularly in taking day off, may considerably cut back their stress ranges.
• However flexibility is not nearly once you work. In line with findings from a Buffer research, the largest distant work advantages for employees embrace 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 motive US information employees desire distant work is that they’re merely happier working from residence (47%).
• However past happiness and adaptability, distant employees additionally report greater productiveness ranges. In line with a research by Owl Labs, a big majority (62%) of employees really feel extra productive when working remotely, in comparison with simply 11% who really feel much less productive.
• A Buffer research additionally discovered that 70% of employees 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, akin to assembly new individuals (59%), managing others (51%), and workforce conferences (51%), employees 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 circulate higher at residence (37%).

• Distant work, whether or not totally distant or hybrid, typically 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} akin to screens, whereas 40% reported that their firms coated prices related to residence workplace gear.
• Curiously, residence web, which is arguably essentially the most essential distant work instrument, is solely coated by 28% of firms.
• One other further distant working value firms typically must 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 think about 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 provides main monetary advantages. In line with a research by IWG, greater than four-fifths of Chief Monetary Officers (CFOs) (82%) imagine that distant work, particularly in a hybrid format, is a less expensive enterprise mannequin in comparison with conventional workplace setups.
• This line of considering is supported by findings from International 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 value financial savings for firms? Firstly, there’s the potential for substantial financial savings on workplace lease. The IWG research discovered that two-thirds (65%) of CFOs goal to scale back facility spending by greater than 10% per yr.
• Equally, one other research discovered that 60% of U.S. executives plan to cut back workplace area by as much as half or extra.
• The rationale behind these cost-saving measures is evident. By eliminating or considerably decreasing workplace area necessities, firms can keep away from committing to costly, long-term leases, regulate their area necessities as wanted, and revel in enormous value financial savings. For 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 pattern. An Owl Labs research discovered that greater than half of all employees (52%) could be keen to simply accept a pay minimize of 5% or extra in alternate for the pliability to decide on their working location. Actually, 23% indicated they might settle for a pay minimize of 10% or extra for this profit.
• Conversely, if employees have been now not allowed to work remotely or in a hybrid setup, 67% would count on a pay enhance to cowl further commuting bills.
• Lastly, past value issues, latest analysis performed by IWG and Arup revealed that hybrid working has the potential to cut 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 totally distant work could possibly 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 potential motive could possibly 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 employees (62%) in that research reported having individuals of their speedy groups distributed throughout a number of time zones.

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• This distributed setup impacts how distant groups collaborate. At present, collaboration primarily happens by means of messaging apps (50%), emails (22%), and conferences (19%), with video calls being the commonest for conferences. Curiously, solely about one-third (36%) of employers have upgraded their video assembly expertise since 2020.
• For digital conferences particularly, a Buffer research discovered that when taking conferences, most distant employees desire to be on digicam. When requested why, 67% of individuals felt it was simpler to speak once they may see somebody’s expression.
• That stated, not all conferences are considered favorably by distant employees. A research by HubSpot revealed that 70% of staff discover too many calls and conferences disruptive to their focus. Moreover, 58% really feel that no less than half of the conferences they attend may have been dealt with by means of emails as an alternative.
• Furthermore, the identical research additionally discovered that electronic mail was the popular communication platform for a majority of respondents (39%) when requested to decide on one platform for the upcoming yr.
• On the facet 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 research discovered that roughly half (50%) of employers have offered coaching to managers on managing distant and hybrid groups.
• Equally, a HubSpot research discovered that 32% of staff who participated of their Hybrid Work survey had obtained tips on utilizing unified communication and collaboration instruments. Moreover, 54% had obtained coaching on conducting efficient and inclusive hybrid conferences.
• Lastly, a latest research additionally discovered that 37% of employers have added or elevated the usage of worker monitoring software program, indicating a rising pattern in direction of simpler monitoring and administration of distant groups.

• Whereas distant work provides many advantages, it additionally presents a number of challenges. For some distant employees, the wrestle lies in the isolation of staying residence too typically. One research discovered that one in three distant employees reported this as their largest problem, with loneliness following intently behind at 23%.
• A 2022 Hubspot survey additionally discovered that 40% of distant employees 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 research discovered that almost half of U.S. employees really feel their groups don’t operate successfully in a hybrid surroundings.
• Whereas this might probably be attributed to a number of causes, a 2022 research discovered that 77% of distant employees who felt much less productive attributed this to elevated distractions at residence, which is comprehensible contemplating that 45% of distant employees make the most of multi-purpose areas, akin to bedrooms or kitchens, for work.
• Separating work and private life can be tough in a distant setting. In a single research, 81% of distant employees admitted to checking work emails outdoors of workplace hours, with 63% doing so on weekends and 34% whereas on trip. Furthermore, 48% typically labored past conventional hours, with 44% reporting elevated work hours in comparison with the earlier yr.
• One other research additionally discovered that almost half (45%) of employees report a rise in work-related stress over the previous yr.
• Lastly, one other main problem for distant work adoption appears to be office perceptions. One research discovered that 49% of employees really feel that managers view in-office staff as tougher working and extra reliable than distant counterparts.
• Equally, one other research 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 proper strategy and understanding, it might probably 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 workforce members, it’s essential to maintain the stats above in thoughts because the world continues to evolve and embrace flexibility.