Remote Work Statistics

Remote Work Statistics

One of the things that 2020 has taught us is that flexibility is not just a perk or a benefit that's "nice to have."

For most of us who work digitally (working with a computer or other digital device), remote work represents the future — not just in the United States, but globally.

While the transition to increased remote working in many industries has been fast-tracked by recent global safety measures, The Guardian and others have intuited a "permanent shift" towards working from home. This growing trend is backed by studies and surveys which indicate the popularity of remote working is rapidly growing for some time.

Companies that invest in remote work infrastructure may be uniquely positioned to address risks and challenges like COVID-19, which Time dubbed "the world's largest work-from-home experiment."

Connecting geographically dispersed teams has become the "new normal" for many businesses. However, plenty of compelling remote working statistics signal a sea change in hiring, job satisfaction, and remote work productivity. Read on to learn some remote work statistics that may surprise you.

Working from home productivity statistics

The rapid adoption of telecommuting has left companies scrambling to create or upgrade their cybersecurity strategies. Working remotely has its own security implications that companies are slowly becoming aware of. Let’s look at recent working from home productivity statistics.

To find out if remote work is secure, we conducted an online cybersecurity survey where 1000+ full-time workers employed by U.S-based organizations were polled.

• 41% of remote workers said they use unsecured personal applications to access confidential work information
• 19% of remote employees reported not knowing about remote work guidelines of their company or that their companies haven't created one as yet

With companies extending work from home plans and not planning to open their offices anytime soon, we polled more than 1,000 full-time workers working remotely for their company. Using SurveyMonkey Audience, we endeavored to learn whether workers were receiving remote work support from their company. We learned some eye-opening information.

• 44% of remote workers reported a lack of the right infrastructure, platforms, and data that they need to be fully productive at work 
• 52% of remote employees mentioned that they lack the requisite training to efficiently use work management platforms where they are available
• Almost 49% of employees are not aware of the expectations from them in regards to availability, work productivity standards, and working hours

To find companies' level of readiness for remote work, Wrike and SurveyMonkey polled 1000+ remote workers in companies with more than 200 workers. 

• 49% of employees mentioned they have never worked from home
• 9% of employees said that they work remotely all the time
• 9% of polled employees reported working remotely several times a week
• Almost 52% of employees felt that working from home would lower their efficiency and lead to a serious dip in the company's productivity levels.

Remote working has been growing in popularity for years

With lightning fast internet speeds, reliable cloud solutions like Wrike, and changing attitudes about work-life balance and well-being, it's no wonder that remote working is growing rapidly. 

• Remote work has grown in popularity by 91% over the last 10 years
• 73% of teams will have remote workers in their ranks by 2028
• 62% of respondents in one survey said they work at least some of the time remotely – meaning only 38% work from office all the time
• A Regus forecast predicts that, by 2030, the U.S. economy could see a boost of $4.5 trillion from the rise of remote work

Remote work could make recruiting more competitive

Remote work is no longer a "perk," as Forbes notes. The thing is that workers aren't just looking for attractive salary packages — they're looking at the bigger picture. That includes work-life balance and securing more flexible hours and conditions.

• 80% of U.S. workers say they would turn down a job that didn't offer flexible working
• In a poll of 880 U.S.-based knowledge workers, 74% said they would be willing to quit their job to work remotely
• By 2030, the demand for remote work will increase by 30% as Gen Z fully enters the workforce 
• 50% of remote employees plan to be their own boss one day
• And 34% of respondents in a survey said they would take a 5% pay cut to work remotely 

What do these remote work statistics tell us about the future of hiring and recruiting? First and foremost, the statistics show that flexible working options will continue to be crucial in attracting top talent.

PwC's global generational study noted that many younger gen employees view "work as a 'thing' and not a 'place.'" A cloud-based digital workspace takes this into view, building flexibility and transparency into everyday processes.

Employees say they gain a productivity boost from working from home

Fewer in-person workplace distractions coupled with collaborative solutions like Wrike mean employees can better manage their workloads and stay connected with their teams.

• 85% of businesses say productivity has increased as "a result of greater flexibility."
• A Stanford University study found that remote working led to a 13% performance increase in one experiment
• Office workers spend an average of 66 minutes a day discussing non-work related topics, where remote employees only spent 29 minutes per day doing the same with their co-workers

Cloud-based and digital tools have become more intuitive and aligned with the way we work. In fact, Wrike users report sending fewer emails on the whole, which cuts down on time spent digging around for old or outdated information.

And, of course, employees say flexible working is suitable for their well-being and work satisfaction

Why wouldn't it be? Remote workers spend less time in traffic, more time with their families, and even take fewer sick days than their office-based counterparts.

• 75% of remote employees say working offsite has improved their work-life balance
• 71% of remote workers say they're happy in their current jobs versus 55% of on-site employees who agreed
• 36% of retirees say they would have continued working if they'd been allowed to work from home or part-time
• 40% of remote employees say they are typically "not stressed" during an average workday
• 57% of employers say remote work flexibility has improved morale and reduced employee turnover

Remote working is the future

If nothing else, these remote work statistics show the modern workplace is changing, and flexibility is at the heart of how workers are forging their career paths. Forecasters predict a rise in remote working as many abandon traditional ideas of what it means to go to work each day.

Want to create your own seamless remote working strategy? Wrike's flexible work management platform can help, allowing teams to collaborate from anywhere, and build the strongest projects of their careers. Find out more here.