Remote Work Statistics: The New Standard?

We believe having the most relevant data and facts can help companies create better policies and improve their productivity, as the world continues to shift more and more toward remote work. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of statistics using only the most reputable sources.

Statistics on Working From Home - Editor’s Picks for 2025

• 22.8% of all employees in the US worked remotely at least part-time in 2024.
• 21% of employers plan to increase office days in 2025.
• 79% of CEOs want workers to return to the office in the next three years
• 45.2% of US employees with advanced degrees worked fully remote in 2024.
• Working from home can save workers between $2,000 and $7,000 and employers $11,000 per remote half-time worker annually.

While not everyone prefers working offsite, more people than ever are taking advantage of work-from-home opportunities. Here are some numbers showing dramatic changes in working habits that are here to stay.

5.7 million Americans reported working from home part-time or more before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

(Global Workplace Analytics)

This was 4.1% of the country’s entire workforce. Compare that to 69% of US employees who worked remotely at the height of the pandemic, which proved many jobs can be done offsite.

In 2024, 22.8% of all employees in the US worked remotely at least part-time.

(Splashtop)

This was 35.1 million employees in total, indicating that remote work is continuing to have a strong pressence on the American market.

12% of workers offered only part-time or occasional remote work say they worked from home five days a week. 

(McKinsey & Company, World Economic Forum)

This data indicates a mismatch between how flexible employers are willing to be and what employees seek. 

The divide is one of the reasons underlying the Great Resignation, with unprecedented numbers of employees leaving their jobs since the pandemic in search of a better work-life balance.

This is how the pandemic has not only affected the economy but has also changed working habits and society as a whole. 

19% of 55- to 64-year-olds do not opt to work remotely despite having the option.

(McKinsey & Company)

This percentage is much lower across the younger age groups, at 12%-13%. 

The breakdown is similar for lower- and higher-income employees, with 17% of those earning from $25,000 to 74,999 annually not using the opportunity to work from home, compared to 10% of those earning more than $75,000.

81% of job seekers cite a better work-life balance as the main reason they need a flexible job.

(FlexJobs)

Working from home would help 70% of employees improve their mental health. Reducing commute stress is cited by 50% as the reason people want flexible or remote jobs, followed by having more time for family (47%) and reducing exposure to illnesses (43%).

44% of job seekers know at least one person who has resigned or is planning to quit due to the in-office work requirements.

(FlexJobs)

The FlexJobs survey shows that 29% of the respondents were currently looking for job opportunities allowing remote work, while 24% would agree to a 10% to 20% pay cut to work offsite as much as they want.

21% of respondents would waive some vacation time to be able to work remotely, while 17% would quit their job if they didn’t have at least some remote work options.

62% of employees report being more productive when working from home. 

(Owl Labs)

By contrast, only 11% believe they are less productive working remotely. Millennials are the generation that feels the most productive working from home (66%). In contrast, baby boomers feel the least productive when working remotely (46%).

Gen Z also generally believe they are more productive at home, while Gen X think they are more productive working on-site, according to a report compiled by Owl Labs in cooperation with remote work consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics.

41% of employees report having better work equipment at home than in the office.

(Poly)

On the opposite end of the scale, 35% of workers say their equipment is better at work. Research conducted by Poly also shows that 71% of employees agree that remote work suits their personality better than on-site work. 

37% of employers have increased or introduced the use of employee activity tracking software over the past year.

(Owl Labs)

Owl Labs’ report also shows that 60% of managers are worried that employees are less productive when working from home.

A UK survey has found that only 2 hours and 53 minutes are spent productively in an office per workday. 

(Vouchercloud)

A survey of almost 2,000 UK office workers found the rest of the time was spent on other activities such as reading news websites (one hour and five minutes), checking social media (44 minutes), and discussing out-of-work activities with colleagues (40 minutes).

63% of employees say the eight-hour workday will become obsolete.

(PwC)

As the way we think about work changes, so will long-standing practices like the standard eight-hour workday. In fact, people in digital industries who work from home are already pushing for shorter work days. This could be the next big effect of technology, allowing workers more freedom and flexibility in organizing their precious time. 

97% of remote workers would encourage others to work remotely.

(Buffer)

Research shows that once you start working remotely, you don’t look back. Indeed, Buffer found that 97% of respondents who work remotely would like to continue doing so at least some of the time for the remainder of their career.

79% of CEOs in 2024 wanted workers to return to the office in the next three years.

(KPMG)

This was a massive increase from 34% surveyed at the start of the year, indicating a big shift in how employers envision the state of remote work in the near future.

62% of employees feel more excited about their job since they switched to remote work.

(Buffer, FlexJobs)

Employees are more dedicated to companies that allow them the freedom to work from home and are indeed in search of remote-only and hybrid jobs when faced with a lack of workplace flexibility. 

A lack of a healthy work-life separation is one of the leading reasons people resign or do not even apply for or accept a job in the first place (57%). 

The top reasons include a low salary (79%), a toxic work culture (73%), a micromanaging boss (58%), not allowing remote work (55%), and a lack of flexible working options (50%).

54% of IT engineers in 2024 wanted to work remotely full-time.

(Terminal)

Out of the surveyed engineers, only 4% wanted to go to the office five days a week.

79% of remote workers pay their internet bill themselves.

(AppNeta)

Only 1% of workers said their company pays their internet bill. A partner pays the bill for 10% and parents for 5% of the respondents. The government foots the bill for about 2% of the respondents.

45% of people in the remote work community think career growth is more difficult when not working at the office.

(Buffer)

At the same time, 14% believe that remote work makes career progression less difficult when working remotely, and 41% say it has no impact at all.

73% of US work departments will have remote workers by 2028.

(Upwork)

This study found that millennials and Gen Z workers dramatically affect the workforce.

When they become the workplace majority in the latter years of the next decade, it’s projected that 24% of the positions will consist of freelancers and temporary agency workers.

If people with jobs that can be done remotely worked from home one day a week, they would reduce global CO2 emissions by nearly 26.5 million tons annually.

(IEA)

According to the International Energy Agency’s data, this would save about 1% of worldwide oil consumption for road passenger transport annually, which would more than offset the increase in household energy use. The overall result would be a reduced carbon footprint.

Working from home can save workers between $2,000 and $7,000 annually.

(Global Workplace Analytics)

At the same time, an employer can save $11,000 on average per half-time remote worker annually. The savings would come from higher productivity; lower absenteeism, turnover, and real estate costs; and the ability to continue operating when employees can’t get to work.

Wide adoption of remote work could increase US national productivity by 5 million man-years.

(Global Workplace Analytics)

This would amount to $270 billion worth of work, and would save more than 90,000 people from traffic-related injuries or death.

87% of job seekers in 2024 felt that having the ability to work remotely is the number one priority.

(Flex Jobs)

To put this in perspective, salaries were well below this number, with 76% job seekers prioritizing them.

43% of Gen Z workers in the US preferred a hybrid work environment in 2024.

(Flex Jobs)

The youngest workers feel much different when it comes to complete remote work, as 45% of Millennials and 62% of Gen Xers prefer to work remotely in full.

67% of workers in the US feel that productivity tracking tools are an invasion of privacy.

(Flex Jobs)

One of the downsides of remote work is the increased use of digital surveillance tools, as the vast majority of employees sees this as a clear invasion of their privacy.

45.2% of US employees with advanced degrees worked remotely in 2024.

(Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Conversely, only 9.6% of high-school graduates with no college degree worked from home last year.

21% of employers plan to increase office days in 2025.

(Resume Templates)

What's more, 34% of the surveyed companies plan to return their workers to the office completely.

Key Takeaways

The remote work trends leave no doubt in our minds that remote employment is here to stay. The shift toward working from home has changed how we live, work, and plan for the future.

These statistics highlight a few key issues that businesses already confront - from embracing flexibility to avert high employee turnover to finding ways to allay employee fears concerning the pending recession. 

Considering the state of world affairs these days, we can only expect these challenges to get tougher. On the bright side, remote work has shown its value to both employees and employers, and we can expect it to solidify its place in our working lives even more in the future.