Remote work is taking the world by storm. Millions of people around the globe are getting more and more interested in becoming virtual assistants. What’s the fuzz? Why is remote work becoming so popular? Well, from our own experience and from multiple sources, we gathered 10 Remote Work Facts and Stats to answer those types of questions:
The History of Remote Work
The wonderful world of remote work began much earlier than we might have imagined. People have visualized this “world” for many years. And now, many years later, we’re extremely happy to live in this day and age.
In 1973, a NASA engineer by the name of Jack Nilles came up with the term “telecommuting.” Six years later, five workers at IBM were allowed to work from home to test the effectiveness of remote work.
In 1983, the success of remote work was displayed by the fact that five remote workers rose to 2000. Fast forward to today, a study made by Owl Labs found that 16% of companies across the globe are now fully remote.
Did You Say Work-Life Balance?
There’s nothing a person wants more than to have a balance between work and their personal life. As a remote worker, your wish is granted.
According to a survey from Office for National Statistics, 78% of people who worked from home, in some capacity, said they had a better work-life balance. That’s the life we all deserve!
Saving Money
Remote work entails not commuting, eating out, or having work clothes dry-cleaned every day. As remote workers ourselves, it’s fair to say that working from home allows you to save money. In fact, you can save $4,000 or more annually, according to FlexJobs. (The total amount might vary from where you live and the choices you make.)
In a survey conducted by Flexjobs in March-April 2021, 38% of remote workers estimate that they are saving at least $5,000 a year, while one out of five estimates that they are saving more than $200 per week, or $10,000 a year.
Increases Productivity
Productivity is a measure of how effectively commodities or services are produced. In short words, as an employee, the more productive you are, the better!
According to research, remote workers are 35-40% more productive than employees working in an office. This incredibly high number can be due to fewer distractions, quiet environments, and more personal space.
Remote work statistics from 2018 show that employees are more comfortable working from home as there are fewer distractions and they are fully in control of their workspace.
Improves Mental Health
Working from home can improve your overall mental health. Remote workers feel less stressed, as there is no daily commute, they can sleep longer, and it’s easier to spend time with their families.
According to a 2014 survey from PGi, working from home can reduce stress by 82% and improve morale by 80%. In a world that’s already complicated, having less stress at the workplace makes life so much better.
Remote Workers Are Happier
According to a 2022 study by Tracking Happiness of 12,455 employees, remote workers are 20% happier than those who work in the office.
People who are required to work in the office have an average job happiness rating of 5.90. Full-time remote workers, however, average a rating of 7.04.
Reasons such as flexibility, work-life balance, and no commuting can all add up to the happiness of remote workers.
Remote Work is Better for the Environment
During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of individuals switched to working from home, which decreased traffic congestion and air pollution from commuting, and as a result, had a favorable environmental impact.
For example, if 3.9 million employees worked from home for at least half the time, they would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount as removing more than 600,000 cars from the road for an entire year.
The Impact of Remote Work
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, employees were forced to work from home as the lockdown prevented them from entering the office. At first, they were scared of the unknown, and post-pandemic, many never wanted to return to the office.
Between July and August 2021, FlexJobs surveyed 4,612 people and found that 97% of respondents preferred some form of remote work post-pandemic—58% want to be fully remote, while 39% want a hybrid model. Only 3% want to return to the office.
Call a Friend
According to a report by Buffer, 98.3% of people working from home would recommend remote work to others.
As remote employees enjoy a stress-reduction, savings, and a healthy mental state, these statistics come as no surprise.
The Future of Remote Work
Since 2009, the number of people working from home has increased by a staggering 159%.
Today’s youth have a digital-native mindset, which means that the future of remote work is extraordinarily bright.
According to the third annual “Future Workforce Report” from Upwork, 73% of all small business teams will have remote workers by 2028.
Remote work is here to stay. With each passing year, the statistics on remote work increasingly support the fact that remote work is beneficial both for employers and employees.
Final Thoughts
From our personal experience and several sources, we can confidently say that working from home has a ton of benefits. But if you enjoy working in the office, we wish you nothing but great success. For those who prefer remote work, click HERE to build an amazing career with us. We hope you enjoyed this week’s blog.
We’ll see you next time,
The Job Duck Team
1 Comment
I really appreciate it.