Remote Working Stats in 2023

Hello, and welcome to another episode of debates that will last until the end of time.

Today we’re discussing work from home.

The opinions around this topic are usually polarized—the bashers will say people get less done when not in the office, while the advocates will claim they’re at their productive best at home.

Which camp do you belong to? And what does the majority say?

One thing’s for sure—you’ll walk away with an answer at the end of this article.

We’ve compiled a list of 100+ statistics on work from home—covering everything from recent stats, future predictions, employee productivity rates, burnout facts, effects on the environment, and more.

Research papers, reports, studies, blog posts—we’ve looked at them all. So whether you’re just curious or looking to cite some cool stats, we’ve got you covered!

Ready? Let’s go—

Work from Home Statistics 2023: Recent Home Working Trends

We’re kicking things off with the most recent data on remote working. 

How many people work from home right now? And where are we headed?

• Over 22% of the American workforce (36.2 million people) will work remotely by 2025. (Upwork)
• Half of Facebook is projected to work remotely by 2030. (Facebook)
• A study projects the hybrid work model will grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. (AT&T)
• The same study also highlights that the fully remote workplace model will take a dramatic decline from 2021 (56%) to 2024 (19%). (AT&T)
• Whether 100% work-from-home or hybrid—the majority of business leaders (85%) agree that remote work is the future. (TECLA)

Remote Working Statistics from Previous Years 

The latest statistics show remote working is here to stay (like that one uninvited guest on Thanksgiving). But how did we get here? 

Here’s a brief look at insights from 2020 (when it all began), 2021 (a year into remote working), and 2022 (the year when haters, like Elon Musk, were hoping for the WFH phenomenon to die).

Work from home statistics 2020

• The labor force reached a high of 164.6 million people in February 2020—just before the pandemic got into full swing. (Owl Labs)
• Telework was on the rise—a study says remote work accounted for over 50% of paid work hours between April and December 2020. (Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom, and Steven J. Davis)
• Both men and women were more likely to work at home in 2020 compared with 2019. The share of employed men increased by 16%—whereas the share of remote-working women increased by 23%. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• The peak of the pandemic saw 69% of American employees work remotely. (Global Workplace Analytics)
• While 19% of employees wanted to telecommute full-time—the rest preferred working a hybrid-remote schedule. (Global Workplace Analytics & Iometrics, 2020)
• Similarly, just 12% of federal employees claimed they wouldn’t want to work from home at least some of the time (Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey)
• COVID-19 saw a 50% spike in meetings through video calls. (Owl Labs)
• During the pandemic—close to 70% of full-time workers worked from home. (Owl Labs)
• A whopping 92% of people surveyed said they expect to work from home once a week. (Owl Labs)
• The same study revealed 80% of employees want a balance, expecting to work at least three days from home per week. (Owl Labs)
• A remote working survey of 9,000 workers in six countries found 72% prefer a hybrid, remote-office model. (Slack)

Working from home statistics 2021

• Globally, 16% of companies were fully remote in 2021. (Owl Labs)
• Meanwhile, 44% of companies didn’t allow remote work of any kind. (Owl Labs)
• Between 2019 and 2021, the number of people primarily working from home tripled from 5.7% (9 million people) to 17.9% (27.6 million people). (US Census Bureau)
• Columbia saw the highest percentage (48.3%) of home-based workers in the US. (US Census Bureau)
• Columbia was followed by Washington (24.2%), Maryland (24.0%), Colorado (23.7%), and Massachusetts (23.7%). (US Census Bureau)
• The average one-way travel time to work dropped to 25.6 minutes in 2021 with the rise in remote work. (US Census Bureau)
• Interestingly, the percentage of workers who worked within their county of residence shot up from 72.2% in 2019 to 76.5% in 2021. (US Census Bureau)
• Nine in ten remote workers wanted to maintain remote work to some degree. (Gallup)
• Three in ten employees working remotely full-time said they’re extremely likely to look for another job if their company does away with remote work. (Gallup)

Work from home statistics 2022

• The majority of Americans (58%) had the opportunity to work from home at least once a week. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• Others (35%) were able to work from home five days a week. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• 87% of Americans say they’d take the chance to work flexibly if offered. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• Merely 13% of employed folk said they wouldn’t opt to work remotely for even some time. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• A 2022 study found that eight in ten people are working hybrid or remotely—while only two in 10 are entirely on site. (Gallup)
• Approximately 25% of all North American jobs were remote by the end of 2022. (Ladders study of North America’s largest 50,000 employers)
• A whopping 97% of Americans would recommend remote work to others—and would continue to work remotely at least for some time. (Buffer’s 2022 State of Remote Work Report)
• One in five employees simply ignored their employer’s requests to report back to the office. (FlexJobs’ Employee Engagement Report)

Work from Home Jobs in USA: Career Insights for People Working Remotely

Enjoyed the walk down memory lane? Let’s now peek into what the remote career market looks like—

• Nearly 50% of job applications submitted on LinkedIn are for remote positions. (LinkedIn)
• Currently, there are two active applicants for each available work-from-home job on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn)
• There was a 21% spike in jobseekers looking for work-from-home positions between September and October 2022—even as postings for remote jobs declined by 6%. (Monster.com)
• The majority of full-time employees (52%) in computer and mathematical fields report having remote work options—and 77% are willing to work fully remotely. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey

Work from Home and the Environment: Commuting from Home to Work Statistics

If you haven’t been stuck in a massive traffic jam in Los Angeles, commute time is probably the last thing on your mind. 

However, remote work has done wonders for commuters and the environment. Read on to find out how—

• When 3.9 million employees work from home at least half the time—they reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the same way as taking 600,000 cars off the road for an entire year. (FlexJobs)
• Commuting time was minimized to 62.4 million hours every day, from mid-March 2020 to mid-September 2020—saving over 9 billion hours’ worth of travel time. (Becker Friedman Institute)
• The average work-from-home employee minimizes their carbon footprint by around 1,800 pounds. (Small Biz Trends)

Remote Workers Statistics

Here’s all you need to know about the people in remote roles, including what they think about their jobs, and key demographics like gender, income, age, and so on—

The general sentiment

• A study found that the third-most-popular reason for a job hunt is looking for a flexible working arrangement. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• Nearly 32% of American employees claim they’d quit their job if they weren’t able to continue working remotely. (Owl Labs)
• On the other hand, 63% of employees globally say they’d absolutely look for a new job if they couldn’t continue working remotely. (Remote.co’s Work & Financial Wellness Report)
• More interestingly, 23% of employees say they’d take a 10% pay cut to work from home permanently. (Owl Labs)
• Another study reveals 21% of workers are willing to give up vacation time for flexible work options. (FlexJobs)
• About 4% of employees say “avoiding politics” is a factor in choosing remote work. (Great Work Life)

The gender, income, age, and race breakdown

• Over 61% of men were offered remote working opportunities—while only 52% of women received these offers. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• At every income level, younger employees seem more likely to report having access to work-from-home opportunities. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• Over 19% of 55 to 64-year-olds who bagged remote work gigs didn’t take them—compared to only 12% of younger workers. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey)
• Only one in six Hispanic workers (15.2%) and one in five Black workers (20.4%) were able to telework due to COVID—compared to one in four white workers (25.9%). (Economic Policy Institue)
• 16% of remote workers are managers, 14% are office and admin support executives, and 13% are sales personnel. (Fundera)

Work from Home Income And Finance Statistics

Has remote work been financially beneficial for employers and employees? Or has it burned a hole in their pockets? 

For businesses

• Organizations implementing work-from-home noted a median rise of $2,000 in revenue per remote employee due to rent, bills, supplies, travel allowances, and maintenance cost savings. (Stanford)
• Research shows businesses lose over $600 billion a year to workplace distractions. (Global Workplace Analytics)
• Employers can save over 11,000 dollars a year per employee with a WFH policy. (Global Workplace Analytics)
• Executives claim they need 30% less office space in the next three years. (PwC)

For employees

• Nearly 40% of employees said working remotely had a positive impact on their financial situations. (Bankrate)
• Work-from-home workers save around $7,000 each year in food, childcare, and commuting. (TECLA)
• To top it off, the median yearly earning of work-from-home employees is $4,000 higher than others. (FlexJobs)

Work from Home Productivity Statistics

Check this out—

One-third of tech workers (31%) from 42 tech companies revealed that they only work for three to four hours a day. 

Are remote workers just as inefficient? Or is the picture completely different? 

• Remote workers work from home, in co-working spaces, cafes, and other places. Over 10,000 such employees were surveyed and they claim they’re just as productive working from home compared to working in the office. (Becker Friedman Institute for Economics)
• In fact, 30% of respondents told researchers they are more productive and engaged working from home. (Becker Friedman Institute for Economics)
• 36% of employees believe the office is best suited for individual work. (Owl Labs)
• A large majority (94%) of 800 employees state their work productivity was the same or higher since they started working from home. (Mercer)
• Over 22% of managers claim their employees’ productivity has decreased. (future of work report by Upwork)
• Another report mirrors these results—with 87% of employees saying they’re productive while working remotely, and only 12% of the leaders claiming they have complete confidence in their team’s remote productivity. (Microsoft)

Work from Home Mental Health Statistics

If you think mental health is just a buzzword, here’s an article on how your mental health affects your money.

Rest of you, please read on—

The bright side

• Employees working from home report being 22% happier than workers who always work in an office environment. (Owl Labs)
• A slight majority (51%) of remote workers say they’re “somewhat” engaged (42%)—meanwhile only 9% say they’re “not at all” engaged. (FlexJobs)
• These findings mirror how remote workers are feeling on the job. Nearly 42% report feeling either “pretty good” (33%) or “excellent” (9%) at work—the remaining 40% say they feel just “okay.” (FlexJobs)
• Over 77% of employees dealing with mental health issues say remote or hybrid working arrangements help them manage their mental health better. (FlexJobs)
• Of those with flexible work options, 48% say their work-life balance is excellent or very good—and 54% claim they get the emotional support they need at work. (FlexJobs)
• Workers with full schedule flexibility say they’re 29% more productive—and 53% say they’re more focused. (Future Forum)
• Most (80%) work-from-home employees are considering resigning from their current jobs to apply to another that prioritizes mental well-being. (Intuition)

The downside

• Half of the surveyed remote workers feel lonely at least once a week—and 19% believe loneliness is the biggest negative of remote work. (Zippa)
• A 2020 survey revealed two out of three employees experienced blurred boundaries between work and home. (University of Kent & University of Birmingham)
• A survey of 1,004 remote and on-site employees says 29% of remote workers struggled with work-life balance—compared to only 23% of on-site workers. (Airtasker)
• The same study revealed 26% of on-site workers left work early due to feeling overwhelmed. (Airtasker)
• Over 54% of remote workers experienced heightened stress—and 45% felt high anxiety levels—compared to 49% and 42% of office workers, respectively. (Airtasker)
• About 40% of remote employers are worried that a lack of social communication among employees will negatively affect their mental well-being. (Aetna International)

Work from Home Burnout Statistics

Trouble sleeping, irritability, and Sunday night blues can mean a bad breakup or burnout. 

Are remote workers more burnt out than on-site employees? Here are some job satisfaction insights—

• A German survey says 77% of employees completely or mostly agree that working from home helped to balance work and family life. (Statista)
• A separate survey discovered remote employees are 14% more likely to believe they’re very satisfied at work compared to on-site workers. (Survey Monkey)
• Additionally, 74% claimed to have more focus and energy while working from home compared to the office. (Korn Ferry)
• Over 86% of work-from-home employees claim motivation isn’t an issue. (Great Work Life)
• Turnover rates fall by 50% when employees have access to a remote work option. (Here&Now)
• Half of the surveyed managers notice that work-from-home employees are joining performance reviews and goal management more regularly. (Engagedly)
• 91.5% of work-from-home employees regularly take part in wellness activities. (Intuition).
• Wellness activities can boost productivity among work-from-home employees by 24%. (Intuition)
• 91% of work-from-home employees who felt more productive at work in the last six months frequently join wellness activities. (Intuition)

Not all is cheerful and dandy

• Does remote work equal more working? A majority (55%) of respondents say they work more hours remotely than at a physical office. (Owl Labs)
• Remote workers work over 40 hours a week—that’s 43% more compared to workers that never worked remotely. (Owl Labs)
• In a survey of 200 full-time remote workers, 40% revealed unplugging after work hours is the biggest challenge they face. (Remote.co)
• Before COVID-19, 18% of fully remote workers experienced burnout. After the pandemic, 29% of people are now experiencing this issue. (Gallup)

For more, check out this article on 100+ Work Life Balance Statistics.

Most Flexible Workplaces

Flexible workplaces will let employees work from anywhere. 

Great Place to Work surveyed more than 209,000 workers in the US to find out what companies are acing the flexibility game. 

Here’s a list of the top 10 ranked companies, and how many people in the company work remotely:

Thought Leaders and Companies Embracing Remote Work 

We’re winding up this list of stats with outtakes from what top leaders have said about remote work— 

• Brian Chesky, Cofounder, and CEO, of Airbnb: ”We want to hire and retain the best people in the world (like you). If we limited our talent pool to a commuting radius around our offices, we would be at a significant disadvantage. Starting in September, you can live and work in over 170 countries for up to 90 days a year in each location. Everyone will still need a permanent address for tax and payroll purposes, but we’re excited to give you this level of flexibility.”
• Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon.Com: “We don’t have a plan to require people to come back. I do think there are some things that are harder to do remotely. I think it’s a little harder to invent remotely.”
• Michael Dell, CEO, of Dell Technologies: “Even several of my fellow tech industry CEOs have pushed to get their teams back into physical offices ‘to engage more fully’ or be a more visible presence. If you are counting on forced hours spent in a traditional office to create collaboration and provide a feeling of belonging within your organization, you’re doing it wrong.” 
• Daniel Ek, CEO, of Spotify: “Our employees will be able to work full time from home, from the office, or a combination of the two. The exact mix of home and office work mode is a decision each employee and their manager make together.”

Wrapping Up

The remote work landscape is ever-evolving. 

Whether you’re a part of a team or leading one, you’ll want to stay up to date on the latest trends—and our extensive list of 100+ work from home statistics should help you do just that.

But, more importantly—were you a hater or an advocate before reading this article? 

Are you still on the same team now?