Remote Work Statistics 2020–2026
- How Many People Work from Home
- Benefits of Working From Home Statistics
- Remote Workforce Statistics by Industry and Occupation
- Remote Employee Statistics by Demographics
- What Employees Think About Remote Work
- What Employers Think About Remote Work
- Remote Work Productivity Statistics
- Work From Home Future Trends
- Conclusion
Six years have passed since the start and many are wondering how many people are working from home and will continue to do so in the future? In our latest article, we provide all-encompassing statistics about remote work, examine popular remote workforce trends, and try to establish if everything will be done remotely in the time to come.
How Many People Work from Home
To set the foundation for our research on remote working, it’s imperative that we explore statistics of people working from home. They will offer us insights into the current state of work as well as give a preview of what the future holds for employers and employees. By reviewing remote working statistics 2020, we can clearly see the trajectory of the workforce.
While the numbers spiked to nearly 60% during the pandemic peaks, the landscape in 2026 has stabilized significantly compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, where less than 6% worked remotely. Today, flexible arrangements are no longer an emergency measure but a standard business practice.
27% of workdays are done remotely
In the United States, the volume of work performed off-site has stabilized. When asking how many people work from home today compared to 2020, we see a shift from fully remote to hybrid models. Currently, approximately 27% of all paid workdays are done from home. This has been attributed to the evolution of company operations and employee lifestyles in the face of the global pandemic. Traditional work environments are done away with, in favor of more flexible arrangements.
Remote workers are less likely to change companies
According to the Owl Labs State of Hybrid Work 2025 report, retention rates have improved across the board, but the gap remains significant. Only 4% of remote workers switched jobs in the last year, compared to 10% of full-time office workers. This data confirms that flexibility remains a decisive factor in employee loyalty and that workers are far more likely to stay with an employer who offers hybrid or remote options.
Staggering amount of people wish to work remotely
98% of employees desire to work from home for the rest of their careers. This figure showcases the deepening aspiration of workers to have more autonomy, flexibility, and more personal time. It’s not surprising that another 98% would recommend online work to their friends.
Benefits of Working From Home Statistics
Data on working from home shows definite benefits to the remote type of work as there are positive opportunities both for the employers and the workers. These range from cutting expenses on office rent to reduced risk of mental and physical exhaustion. Let’s explore statistics about working from home to highlight some of the main benefits.
Companies save money by having remote workers
When a business goes remote, it no longer has to pay an exorbitant amount of money for renting an office, along with other expenses like paying utility bills and ordering office supplies. About 50 workers on staff can save 500,000 dollars annually in such costs.
Positive impact on mental and physical health
One of the most important working from home facts is that this type of arrangement is good for the health of employees. 93% of respondents stated that working remotely has positively influenced their mental health and 90% told FlexJobs about a noticeable improvement in their physical condition.
Teleworkers save time on their commute
According to a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, remote workers save around 72 minutes in commute time every day. What is more important, all that free time is channeled into working more. That is one of the most surprising working remotely trends.
Remote Workforce Statistics by Industry and Occupation
Some industries and jobs are more suited to remote work than others. By analyzing statistics work from home jobs across different sectors, we can clearly see which markets are saturating with remote opportunities and which are moving toward hybrid models.
Industry
In 2026, the computer and IT sector leads the way, followed by accounting, finance, marketing, and healthcare all using digital tools to operate. The customer service sector has adapted to remote work through software, and sales reps use virtual platforms to interact with clients.
Administrative roles can do tasks remotely, and HR and operations not only go remote but also help other sectors adapt by reshaping workplace policies. This widespread acceptance of remote work post COVID times shows that industries are ready to evolve, and professionals are more open to change.
Occupation
In 2026, project management overtook computer & IT as the top remote occupation. Nevertheless, software development and IT retain their top spots in lists of fully remote roles, such as coding, DevOps, and cybersecurity. Executive assistants adjust well to online work, managing tasks and communications from home. Financial analysts and project managers excel while remote, using data analysis and team coordination. Customer service reps use remote platforms to keep client relationships intact.
Software engineers were still top remote, and customer success managers kept clients happy through virtual interactions. Accounting managers adapted to remote oversight of financials and product designers collaborated creatively, using digital tools. Writers kept producing content just fine in flexible environments, as most roles adapted to remote work.
Remote Employee Statistics by Demographics
How many workers are working from home? Are they men or women? What is their average age and levels of education? In this section, we’ll try to find answers to these questions and paint a portrait of a typical remote worker.
Higher percentage of employees who work remotely are women
In a shift from historical trends, women now lead in remote work participation. As of April 2025, nearly 25% of employed women teleworked, compared to 19-20% of men. This statistic highlights the prevalence of women in flexible, office-based roles. However, it also suggests a gender gap that companies must address; inclusive remote work policies should aim to balance participation to ensure men are not excluded from flexible opportunities.
Remote employees are mid-career professionals
Remote worker statistics indicate that the workforce skews mid-career rather than very young. While the 25-54 age group sees steady participation at 24%, the highest adoption is among those aged 35 to 44, at 27.4%. Conversely, younger workers (ages 16-24) lag significantly at just 6.2%. This indicates that work from home is heavily utilized by experienced professionals managing career and family, rather than entry-level employees.
Advanced degrees equal remote work
Higher education strongly correlates with remote access. In March 2025, 42.8% of advanced degree holders teleworked (up slightly from 37.9% in 2023), bachelor's at 37.6%, associate/some college at 18.4%, high school graduates at 9.1%, and no high school diploma at 3.3%. The steep drop-off underscores remote work's ties to professional roles.
What Employees Think About Remote Work
The work from anywhere trend has matured, and employee sentiment has shifted from "adapting" to "optimizing." Surveys reveal clear preferences regarding career growth, bonding, and retention.
Advantage - matter of opinion
One of the more curious remote worker stats shows a divide between employees who think that telecommuting helps to advance their career (18%) and those believing it actually hurts their progression (19%). All in all, 63% of remote workers feel it has no impact on their career.
Remote workers easily bond with their remote coworkers
Working in an office lends itself to networking and making friends, but is it easy? 46% of teleworkers feel that it’s far easier to establish a relationship with their remote coworkers. One-fourth of respondents believe that it’s actually harder or makes no real difference.
No going back to the office
56% of respondents claim that they know someone who has already quit or is willing to quit their job if they’re forced to work in the office. Fewer and fewer people are inclined to lose their newly acquired freedom.
What Employers Think About Remote Work
How many companies allow remote work or hybrid work today?
The answer is decisive, according to Gallup, in the United States as of 2025, 21% of jobs are on-site, with 26% exclusively remote, and 52% hybrid.
Managers are surprised by the effectiveness of teleworking
When the pandemic took hold, many executives were shocked by the percentage of Americans working from home. As time passed, 56% of hiring managers think that this is a positive arrangement, 35% got what they expected, and 9% said that it was actually worse.
30% of employers require full-time office attendance
Despite the widespread adoption of hybrid models, a significant portion of the market is tightening restrictions. Per ResumeBuilder's survey of business leaders from October 2025, 30% of companies will require full five-day office attendance in 2026, up slightly from 28% in 2025. Only 10% of companies will allow fully remote choice.
52.1% of remote businesses hire independents
WFH statistics indicate that more than half of companies who fully embraced the remote work arrangement are more likely to hire independent professionals, while the percentage for non-remote businesses is 38%.
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Remote Work Productivity Statistics
The percentage of companies working remotely is at an all-time high not just due to employee preference, but because the model works financially.
A study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) analyzing 61 industries found a direct positive link: a 1 percentage-point increase in remote work participation is associated with a 0.08 percentage-point increase in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth. Furthermore, the same research indicates that higher remote adoption correlates with a 0.1 percentage-point decrease in unit labor cost growth.
Employees believe that remote work is more productive
As per FlexJobs survey, 77% of workers think that their productivity is higher when working from home compared to a traditional office, with only 11% seeing no difference, and 12% feeling unproductive. These working from home productivity statistics describe the opinion of the majority of teleworkers.
Companies are less skeptical
Mercer, an HR and workplace benefits consulting firm, surveyed 800 employers and concluded that 94% of them believe that productivity stayed the same or increased when employees began working from home at the start of the pandemic.
Work From Home Future Trends
It doesn’t matter if you’re a part of a small or large company; telecommuting trends will continue to change the way we work. By analyzing remote working statistics from 2020–2024, as well as new data from 2025, we can now clearly see the trajectory of the market. Let’s examine the predictions based on this established remote work data.
32.6 million United States citizens now work remotely
Upwork estimated that 32.6 million Americans would be working from home by 2025. Current data confirms we have surpassed this figure. This statistic equates to about 22% of the global workforce. Based on this projection, we can safely assume that WFH trends in a continuous trajectory and there is no dip in sight.
Remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions
People who go to work full time in an office damage the environment by simply commuting with a car. One day working from home can cut emissions by 2%, while 2 to 4 days cuts greenhouse emissions by up to 29%. If we consider the whole week of remote work, cut emissions amount to a stunning 54%.
Full time office is not an option
Slack conducted a survey in six countries and discovered that 72% of 9,000 workers prefer a hybrid work model. Only 12% of respondents said that they’re more partial to an office setting, while 13% desire to work from home all the time if given the option.
Work-life balance and flexibility matter more than ever
When it comes to jobs of the future, research from Jobseeker shows work-life balance and flexibility will be more important than almost anything else. In Jobseeker's study, 27% of US workers valued work-life balance the most, while 16% chose flexibility, behind only job security (29%) as the most essential aspect of a good job in the future. As remote and hybrid work models continue to expand, these priorities are shaping how companies design roles, benefits, and long-term workforce strategies.
Conclusion
The shift to remote work has changed the employment landscape and working from home statistics tell us that it’s a good thing for both employers and employees. More and more workers want to work remotely or in a hybrid model because of the flexibility and better work life balance that comes with it. With a significant percentage of workforce working remotely and companies seeing the benefits of this method, it’s clear this is not just a phase.
As we move forward, both employers and employees need to begin embracing this new reality. The former should adopt more flexible work policies and create a culture that supports online work and the latter should speak up for their needs in this new world.
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According to remote work growth statistics, hybrid employment—working from home some days and in person on others—is more popular than entirely remote work, which isn’t as common as one might imagine. As of August 2023, an average of 20% of employees worked remotely.
Telecommuting benefits statistics paint a picture of the common advantages of working remotely:
- Reduced expenditures on fuel, parking, and vehicle maintenance.
- Additional personal time and an improved work life balance.
- Low amount of stress and high work satisfaction.
- Increased productivity for remote workers.
- Makes relocation for work unnecessary.
Out of all employees surveyed for the Federal Work-Life Survey Report, 72% reported that they had achieved better performance, 76% would remain within their present company, and 83% had higher morale than before. Telework statistics indicate that these are benefits for employers.
73% of remote workers miss the social aspect of working in an office. When working from home, telling a story by the watercooler or having work related conversations just isn’t possible. Remote work growth might be hindered by the need for human contact.
46% white collar workers surveyed by USA Today claimed to be more productive at home, whereas only 16% said they’re more productive in the workplace. The percentage of workers working remotely who are more likely to put in additional hours is 38%.
Remote work statistics show a shift from emergency measures to stability. While numbers spiked near 60% during the pandemic, the pre-pandemic level was less than 6%. Today, the market has settled. Current data indicates that approximately 27% of all paid workdays are done from home. This confirms that flexible work arrangements are no longer a temporary fix but a standard business practice for professionals worldwide.
According to Gallup data for the United States in 2025, the majority of employers offer flexibility. Specifically, 52% of jobs are now hybrid, and 26% are exclusively remote. Only 21% of roles remain fully on-site.
This breakdown of fully remote vs hybrid vs office shows that strict in-office mandates are becoming the minority, as companies adapt their hybrid work policies to retain talent.
The computer and IT sector continues to lead, though project management has recently overtaken it as the top remote occupation. Work from home jobs statistics also show strong adoption in accounting, finance, marketing, and healthcare.
Remote work by industry and occupation is expanding, with remote-eligible roles in customer service and sales utilizing virtual platforms to maintain client relationships effectively without a physical office.
Work from home statistics confirm the trend is here to stay because it makes financial sense. Research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that a 1% increase in remote work participation correlates with a 0.08% increase in Total Factor Productivity (TFP). Because companies see this link between flexible schedules and efficiency, coupled with massive cost savings on office space, the hybrid model has become a permanent fixture of the labor market.
