Remote Work Statistics in the USA: The 2024 Roundup

Return To Office or Work From Home?

Millions of people worked remotely during the pandemic.

But how many of us still work outside the office?

A Brief Glimpse Of WFH Within The US

In 2023, approximately 40% of US employees work remotely at least one day per week.

The industries most comfortable with WFH are:

• Information technology (67%)
• Professional and business services (49%)
• Educational services (46%)
• Wholesale trade (39%)

Since 2020, these numbers have shrunk every year.

Percent of people who primarily work from home:

• 2019: 5.7%
• 2020: 35%
• 2021: 17.9%
• 2022: 15%
• 2023: 12.7%

Today, 72.5% of businesses do not have any employees who work from home — up from 60.1% in 2021.

Remote Work vs In-Office Work In Every US State

• Michigan 27%
• Indiana 26%
• Virginia 26%
• South Carolina 26%
• Wisconsin 26%
• Missouri 25%
• Texas 25%
• Florida 25%
• Maryland 24%
• Tennessee 23%
• New Jersey 22%
• Ohio 22%
• Arizona 21%
• North Carolina 21%
• New York 21%
• Minnesota 20%
• Massachusetts 20%
• Pennsylvania 20%
• Georgia 20%
• Illinois 20%
• Alabama 20%
• Washington 19%
• Colorado 19%
• Iowa 19%
• Oregon 18%
• California 18%
• Louisiana 17%
• Utah 17%
• Kansas 17%
• Kentucky 17%
• Connecticut 15%
• Nevada 15%
• Oklahoma 13%
• Arkansas 13%
• New Mexico 10%
• New Hampshire 10%
• Mississippi 10%
• Nebraska 9%
• Idaho 8%
• Maine 7%
• Delaware 7%
• Montana 6%
• West Virginia 6%
• Rhode Island 5%
• Hawaii 5%
• North Dakota 4%
• Vermont 4%
• South Dakota 4%
• Alaska 4%
• Wyoming 3%

Different countries also have different tolerances for remote work.

Hiring Remote Work By Country

Globally, employees are:

• On-site: 66.5%
• Hybrid: 25.6%
• Fully remote: 7.9%

Although WFH has settled since the pandemic, its benefits for employers and employees cannot be ignored.

Why Distributed Teams Still Make Sense

How employees benefit from remote work:

• No commute: 60%
• Save on gas and lunch: 44%
• Flexibility: 42%
• Less time getting ready: 38%
• More quiet time: 35%
• Spending time with family and friends: 29%
• Fewer meetings: 10%
• Other: 2%

How employers benefit from remote work:

• Employee absences (56% fewer)
• Employee sick days (50% fewer)
• Boosts productivity (68% of businesses see an increase in productivity)

• Lowers turnover (Reduces employee churn by 50%)

• Saves money (Reduces annual cost per employee by $20,000 to $37,000)

In 2023, 98% of people say they want to work remotely at least some or all of the time. But what’s needed to make this a reality? 

What We Need To Keep Teams Out Of The Office

1. Connectivity platforms - keep employees connected, communicative, and productive wherever they work.
2. Cybersecurity and IT tools - defend your network from digital threats, both intentional and unintentional, for example through the use of log monitoring tools.
3. AI scheduling software - create optimal work schedules based on employee availability for efficient and practical performance.

Maintaining remote teams is a powerful way to boost productivity and prepare your business for the demands of tomorrow.

Sources

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/brs1.nr0.htm

https://www.ncci.com/SecureDocuments/QEB/QEB_Q4_2020_RemoteWork.html

https://wfhresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WFHResearch_updates_February2023.pdf

https://wfhresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/WFHResearch_updates_August2022.pdf

https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2023

https://wfhresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GSWA-2023.pdf

https://www.indeed.com/lead/remote-work-survey

https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/resources/costs-benefits#toggle-id-43

https://nbloom.people.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj4746/f/wfh.pdf https://venturebeat.com/business/working-away-from-traditional-offices-will-become-the-new-norm/

https://wfhresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SIEPR1.pdf