As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, people are being told to self-isolate and work from home. For some, this is nothing new as they’ve been part of work from home companies for years now. Yet, for others, working remotely is an entirely new concept. Thus, we hope the following work from home statistics will help ease your mind and help you realize you are not alone. Telecommuting, productivity, overhead costs, and general facts about the virtual workers of America are just some of the things we’ll briefly cover in this article.
So, take a moment of your time and be sure to go through these most interesting stats and facts we’ve laid out for you below:
Top 10 Essential Working From Home Statistics
- In a recent survey, 71% of people stated they worked remotely.
- When asked where they worked from the most, 84% of remote workers said they worked from home.
- IT workers are the most represented group of remote workers (17%).
- About 80% of workers want to be able to work from home from time to time (at the very least).
- Given the chance, 35% of employees would take another job that allowed them to work from home (full-time), statistics on working from home indicate.
- Having a flexible schedule is considered the top benefit of working remotely, according to 40% of people.
- 22% of remote workers say that unplugging after work is the biggest struggle of working remotely.
- Two-thirds of companies take their remote workers to be more productive.
- Of all the people working from home, 16% hold managerial titles.
- The average salary of remote workers is $66,180 per year.
General Work From Home Statistics for 2021
1. In a recent survey, 71% of people stated they worked remotely.
(Pew Research)
That’s a huge percentage if we bear in mind the fact that only 20% of the US workforce was working remotely prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
As the benefits of homeworking are becoming apparent, such as less commuting and a better work-life balance, 54% of the survey respondents would like to work from home all the time.
2. Statistics about work from home reveal 56% of American employees can do at least some of their work remotely.
(Global Workplace Analytics)
In other words, 75 million American employees are in jobs that are work-from-home compatible. Moreover, in another poll, 62% of employees said they could, in theory, work from home.
3. 82% of company leaders plan to allow work from home at least some of the time going forward.
(Gartner)
When will work from home end? Not anytime soon if organization leaders have a say in it. A 2020 survey of companies in the HR, compliance, real estate, and finance fields shows remote work is becoming a trend.
47% of companies indicated they’d allow employees to work remotely full-time in the future. 43% agreed flex hours and flex workdays were probably in store.
4. Remote working statistics disclose 55% of employees working remotely would switch jobs if they didn’t have the remote work option.
(EmploymentHero)
A large percentage of people are satisfied with the remote work arrangement. 32% of workers reported being more engaged in their job compared to 28% of people working in office settings.
5. About 80% of workers want to be able to work from home from time to time (at the very least).
(Global Workplace Analytics)
It seems that employers are the ones insisting on people coming into the office and not the other way round.
6. Given the chance, 35% of employees would take another job that allowed them to work from home (full-time), based on a remote work statistics report.
(Global Workplace Analytics)
Of those that concurred, 47% were Millennials, and 31% were Baby Boomers. Finding another part-time (or even full-time) job is not as hard nowadays, with specialized websites doing all the hard work for you.
7. When asked where they worked from the most, 84% of remote workers said they worked from home.
(Buffer)
Another 8% of homeworkers said they make use of coworking spaces, 4% said they use coffee shops, and 5% said they use libraries to do work.
In the same study, working from home stats found that an incredible 99% of employees said they’d work from home at least some of the time for the rest of their career!
8. 91% of business owners said they intended on offering their employees the option to work remotely from the moment they’re hired.
(Buffer)
Remote working statistics from 2019 reveal that just 9% of business owners had no plans of supporting remote work whatsoever.
9. According to the same survey, for 40% of the respondents, some of the work was done in the office, whereas the rest was done remotely.
(Buffer)
On the other hand, 31% said their whole team worked remotely.
What’s more, 16% said that remote work was allowed when needed; another 9% confirmed they could work remotely for a certain period every week or month; lastly, merely 4% of respondents were a one-person business or a freelancer.
10. 33% of companies employ between 1% and 25% of remote workers on their teams, telecommuting statistics from 2019 show.
(Buffer)
Another 17% stated they employ from 26% to 50% of their team as remote workers; for 11%, the figures were between 51% and 75%; finally, only 9% of companies said that the majority of their workforce (76% to 99%) worked remotely.
11. The average American commuter in 2019 lost 54 hours a year to traffic delays.
(CNN) (Harvard Business Review)
One of the few positive things that working from home during COVID-19 did for us is reduce commuting in a big way. Research showed that we wasted over two extra days a year in our cars thanks to traffic.
And that means 54 hours added onto the average commuter’s yearly time spent in a car because of congested traffic.
Interesting Facts About Working From Home
12. Having a flexible schedule is considered the top benefit of working remotely, according to 40% of people.
(Buffer)
Next comes the option of working from any location (30%), spending time with family (14%), and (surprise, surprise!) working from the leisure of your own home (13%).
13. 22% of remote workers say that unplugging after work is the biggest struggle of working remotely.
(Buffer)
When it comes to work from home statistics, 2019 data shows that 19% of remote workers claimed that loneliness was, in fact, the biggest issue; another 17% complained that they had either communication or collaboration issues; lastly, 10% admitted that working from home came with its own set of distractions.
14. 32% of remote workers stated that they were allowed unlimited vacation time.
(Buffer)
Everyone could use a break from time to time, and remote workers are no exception.
Apart from the lucky ones above, work from home stats reveal 19% of remote workers were given four weeks of vacation time; 15% had three weeks of vacation; 9% had two weeks, and a lowly 8% didn’t receive any vacation time at all.
15. 35.9% of the UK’s employed population did at least some work from home in 2020.
(ONS)
Working from home statistics from 2020 in the UK show that the amount of people doing work from home increased by 9.4 percentage points from 2019.
Adding to the stigma of working from home, statistics in the UK also showed that those working from home were 38% less likely to receive a bonus between 2013 and 2020. And that’s despite the fact that people who worked from home at least some of the time in 2020 completed 2.4 hours more of overtime per week.
16. 58% of employees working from home in the UK said remote work made them more productive.
(TalkTalk)
In support of working from home, statistics generally show that homeworking makes people more productive. That certainly seems to be the case in the UK, where 52% of employees surveyed in 2020 said they do not expect to go back to working in an office.
17. Work from home statistics show that 73.1% of households that earn more than $200,000 switched to remote work during the pandemic.
(Census Bureau)
Substituting traditional work for remote work turns out to be extremely popular, but not so much among low-income households. Only 12.7% of households with income below $25,000 had adults who switched to telework as a result of the pandemic.
18. 61.7% of households with a Bachelor’s degree or higher had a member switch to remote work.
(Census Bureau)
Another important disparity between households comes from educational success and the ability to work from home. Work from home statistics show that people with Bachelor’s degrees or higher education were over three times as likely to switch to remote work than those with a high school education or equivalent.
19. Working from home productivity statistics are encouraging as two-thirds of companies take their remote workers to be more productive.
(TECLA)
This increase in productivity is largely due to the lack of distractions happening outside the office. Experts estimate that over $1.8 trillion are lost every year in the US as a result of poor productivity.
20. Remote workers enjoy reduced stress (82%) as opposed to their office counterparts.
(TECLA)
Less stress means more productivity. After all, a happy worker is a productive worker. The same workers reported an 80% boost in morale from remote work.
Remote Work Statistics — Demographics
21. 46% of people with a VP-level job were able to work from home in 2019.
(Owl Labs)
What’s more, 55% of company founders and C-level employees were also able to work from home. Obviously, being the boss has its perks.
22. IT workers are the most represented group of US remote workers (17%).
(Owl Labs)
Facilities, operations, and IT workers seem to have the easiest time making the switch from in-person to remote work. Statistics on working from home show customer support in second place with 12%, followed closely by administrative workers with 11%.
Interestingly, company leaders and executives make only 6% of homeworkers.
23. 42% of workers aged 18–49 say that switching to work from home has been difficult.
(Pew Research)
When it comes to remote work statistics in 2020 and coronavirus, the pandemic has been a central theme. Most people forced to work from home as a result of COVID-19 are finding it relatively easy. But a higher percentage of younger workers didn’t adapt as readily. 53% of 18-29 year-olds admit motivation was hard to find too.
In comparison, only 20% of workers aged 50+ found the transition challenging.
24. Of all the people working from home, 16% hold managerial titles.
(Fundera)
This just goes to show that not only junior team members are able to work from home. Employees with lots of responsibilities can still work remotely and be productive.
Working From Home Stats — Expenses
25. For 75% of remote workers, their company doesn’t cover the costs of their home internet.
(Buffer)
Not only that, but 71% of respondents also stated that their company doesn’t cover the costs of coworking memberships either. The cost of food and beverages in coffee shops is also a far cry, it seems, for many a remote worker working there (87%).
26. Work from home statistics indicate 38% of remote workers were put in that situation with no prior training for working remotely.
(Owl Labs)
62% of workers received at least some training for how to work remotely.
Unfortunately, 15% of people currently managing or who have previously managed remote workers receive no training for the remote management process.
27. Working from home can save both your and your employer money.
(TECLA)
According to TECLA, a remote worker can save around $7,000 per year simply by working from home, and companies can save around $11,000 per year by having a remote worker.
28. The average salary of remote workers is $66,180 per year.
(ZipRecruiter) (BLS)
Surprisingly, in data about working from home, facts seem to indicate that people working from home earn more than the national average. For comparison, the mean wage in the US is right at $56,310 per year. That’s about $10,000 less than that of remote workers.
29. Every full-time remote work employee reduces company costs by $22,000 per year compared to on-site workers.
(Forbes)
Companies have had to invest in digital infrastructure to support remote workers, but most understand that the investment is worth the cost. Not to mention, employees save money too.
A 2020 survey found that an average homeworker also saves themselves $4,000 a year in personal expenses compared to working on-site.
FAQs
What percentage of the workforce works from home?
71% of the US workforce was working from home by the end of 2020. As 54% would like to continue as homeworkers after the pandemic, estimates say that by 2025, 22% of workers in the United States will be in remote-work positions.
Is it more productive to work from home?
79% of people who work remotely claimed that they had better focus and increased levels of productivity while working from home.
Of course, this does depend on the situation at home. If you live alone or are alone during the day, it will likely be easier than if your children or spouse are around while you are trying to concentrate.
How do you ensure employees are working from home?
Well, first of all, you need to make sure they are aware of what they need to do at all times. In other words, good communication software and a thorough onboarding process.
Time tracking software is another neat way of ensuring people stay productive. Equip your team with productivity tools and teach them to use those tools.
Finally, various project management software to keep tabs on everyone’s progress (and to make sure that no one is slacking off) is yet another requirement for staying productive.
What are the main reasons why companies should allow work from home?
The list of work-from-home benefits for employers is immense. Here are just a few reasons:
- Saving hundreds of hours of commute time and the stress that comes with it.
- It gives an employer much more flexibility in choosing employees who reside farther from your offices.
- Working from home saves money on both sides.
- Remote work reduces the number of cars on the road, thereby reducing carbon emissions, making it an environmentally friendly choice.
How effective is working from home?
Very much so. Homeworkers spend 1.4 more days at work every month compared to office workers. Therefore, remote workers do over three weeks of additional workload per year.
What are the top three challenges of working from home?
The biggest challenge for most people working from home (22%) is unplugging after work. The second most challenging feature is loneliness, and the third is the difficulty it presents to collaboration and communication. Home distractions are
Is working from home becoming more popular?
Without a doubt, yes. Pandemic-induced lockdowns massively impacted the number of homeworkers. That number is coming back down to pre-pandemic levels, but researchers predict 26.7% will continue to work from home through 2021.
By 2025, 22% of employees will work from home. And taking into account that 37% of people working remotely would agree to take a 10% pay cut to continue working from home, it’s safe to say the trend will continue to rise.
Conclusion
With the way things are constantly changing, especially due to the coronavirus outbreak, these up-to-date work from home statistics truly come in handy (or at least we hope so).
All in all, with some careful study and tinkering, more companies realize the benefits of having a remote workforce, thus improving their productivity and reducing costs in the process.
The reasons to work from home are plenty, and these will become more apparent in the days, weeks, and years to come.
