93 Homeworking business statistics (from credible sources) [2023]

Written by Maddy Leslie | 27 April 2023

Remote work might have taken off because of the pandemic, but evidence shows it’s here to stay.

Company attitudes are changing, not to mention the fact that employees have tried remote working and many would never go back. To attract talent, employers have to take this new landscape into account. Plus, the pace change when it comes to technology has accelerated, with the advent of improved video conferencing and collaboration apps that make working from home so much easier than ever before.

How do we know all this? Well check out these 93 business statistics about homeworking, all from credible sources.

Homeworking stats on this page use global, US or UK survey data based on statistically significant numbers of respondents, with reports produced by reliable organisations in recent years.

Jump straight to the statistics you need, here:

What does homeworking look like immediately post-pandemic?
Is remote working here for the long term?
What are business attitudes to remote and hybrid work?
Is hybrid working popular with employees?
What are employee attitudes to remote working?
Does homeworking benefit employees?
Is working from home bad for your mental health?
Is homeworking good or bad for your career?
Has remote working impacted recruitment and jobseeking?
Can you manage a team via virtual meetings?
PLUS: Further homeworking resources

What does homeworking look like immediately post-pandemic?

While the pandemic is far from over, 2022 marked a relative return to normal with an end to social distancing and lockdowns in places like the UK and USA. Homeworking is now a common practice with 14 percent of all US employees (22 million people) working from home full-time.

Since the start of the pandemic, 37 percent of people in the UK report they have not worked from home at all. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
About 14 percent of all employees in the US are currently working from home full time. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
As a result of the pandemic, 53 percent of businesses say that remote work has increased their willingness to use freelancers. And, 71 percent of hiring managers plan to sustain or increase their use of freelancers in the next 6 months. (UpWork’s Future Workforce Report 2021)
37 percent of UK organisations have seen an increase in requests for flexible working in the first half of 2022. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
42 percent of UK organisations say they are more likely to grant requests for flexible and remote working in 2022 as compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2020. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
35 percent of US workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home all of the time. This is down from 43 percent in January 2022 and 55 percent in October 2020 – and up from only 7 percent before the pandemic. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
Among working adults in the UK, 16 percent report working from home only and 28 percent report both working from home and travelling to work over the period September 2022 to January 2023. (Office for National Statistics ‘Characteristics of homeworkers, Great Britain 2022-23)
63 percent of hybrid workers say their employer requires them to work in person a certain number of days per week or month. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
41 percent of those with jobs that can be done remotely are working on a hybrid schedule. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
63 percent of UK workers who are able to work in a hybrid way have not been asked by their organisations how they would like to work moving forward post-pandemic. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)

Is remote working here for the long term?

Almost all remote working employees who tried remote working during the pandemic would like to continue working from home long-term, at least part-time, for the rest of their careers.

61 percent of US workers do not have jobs that can be done from home. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
97 percent of remote working employees who started remote working in the pandemic would recommend remote work and would like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
72 percent of employees who now work remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic say their company is planning on permanently allowing some amount of remote work in the future. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
40.7 million American professionals (28 percent of respondents to UpWork’s 2021 survey) will be fully remote in the next five years, up from around 23 percent in November 2020. (UpWork’s Future Workforce Report 2021)
On average, organisations in the UK expect 21 percent of their workforce to work from home full-time, and they expect 40 percent to work from home at least part-time. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
29 percent of workers who report hybrid working recently are between the ages of 30 and 40 years. (Office for National Statistics, Is hybrid here to stay? (UK 2022))
39 percent of UK businesses say they are seeking to put in place additional measures or investment to enable more hybrid or remote working options over the next year. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
Self-employed workers are twice as likely to work from home only (32 percent) compared with employees (14 percent). (Office for National Statistics ‘Characteristics of homeworkers, Great Britain 2022-23)

What are business attitudes to remote and hybrid work?

Many organisations have embraced remote work and have put policies and resources in place for long term remote working. 72 percent of companies say their organisation is planning for some form of permanent remote work going forward.

93 percent of remote working employees say their organisation trusts them to work remotely. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
87 percent of UK businesses adapted to enable some form of hybrid working during 2020. (CIPD and Microsoft ‘Work Smarter to Live Better’ 2020 report)
67 percent of businesses report many significant changes to long-term management practices in 2022, due to the rise of remote work. (UpWork’s Future Workforce Report 2021)
72 percent of companies say their organisation is planning for some form of permanent remote work going forward, compared to 46 percent in 2021. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
29 percent of UK business introduced additional resources to support employees’ physical and mental wellbeing in a remote working setting in 2020. (CIPD and Microsoft ‘Work Smarter to Live Better’ 2020 report)
49 percent of organisations surveyed by Buffer are fully remote; 39 percent are operating on a hybrid basis and 11 percent are office-first but with remote working permitted on some basis. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
45 percent of UK homeworkers say their flexible working arrangement is ‘informal.’ (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
73 percent of firms say they are raising prices in response to rising costs, with 62 percent citing soaring energy bills at their commercial properties as driving factor for encouraging remote working. (British Chambers of Commerce 2022 survey)
17 percent of people say their organisation has a four-day workweek while 69 percent say they wished their organisation had this policy. Buffer’s own 4DWW policy has proven successful, with their team survey showing 91 percent of their remote team report they are happier and more productive. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
Just 38 percent of companies have an asynchronous working policy. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)

Is hybrid working popular with employees?

While employees who have tried remote working often want to continue doing it full-time, some organisations are encouraging a hybrid model. 41 percent of small to medium businesses are mandating some kind of return to the office. even though 80 percent of employees say hybrid work is ‘exhausting’.

34 percent of those who are currently working from home most of the time say, if they had the choice, they’d like to work from home all the time. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
41 percent of SMBs are mandating a return to the office compared to 27 percent of enterprises. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)
The number of employees choosing to work remotely in 2022 increased 24 percent since 2021. Interest for in-office work, however, dropped by 24 percent. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)
80 percent of employees say that a hybrid work setup is ‘exhausting.’ (TinyPulse State of Employee Engagement Q3 2021)
London residents reported the highest levels of hybrid working across Great Britain, with 40 percent of workers both working from home and travelling to work. (Office for National Statistics ‘Characteristics of homeworkers, Great Britain 2022-23)
26 percent say they’re concerned about their obligations around family and pets if they are asked to return to the office full-time. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)

What are employee attitudes to remote working?

Employee attitudes to remote working tend to be very positive, with 90 percent of employees who tried it reporting a good experience and many willing to take a pay cut to work from home.

52 percent would take a pay cut of five percent or more to have flexibility in working location. 23 percent say they would take a pay cut of ten percent or more. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)
Where flexible working options are available, 87 percent of people will take that opportunity. Therefore, 13 percent of people who could work remotely in some way choose not to. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
90 percent of people who have tried remote working say their remote working experience was very or somewhat positive. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
59 percent of employees in a remote work setting would prefer to work from home versus working at multiple other locations such as coffee shops or co-working spaces. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
52 percent of people would like they business to operate on an asynchronous-first basis. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
86 percent of homeworking employees either want fully-remote or remote-first work environments going forward. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
90 percent of workers spent money on their home office in 2020, with 42 percent spending between $100 and $500, and 12 percent spending more than $1,000. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
30 percent of employees feel that their ability to collaborate virtually has improved a little or a lot since their COVID-19-induced shift to remote working. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
62 percent of people say they are more excited about their careers since shifting to a homeworking model. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)

Does homeworking benefit employees?

There is evidence that shows working from home is beneficial for businesses, in terms of reduced overheads and talent acquisition, and for employees in terms of flexibility and productivity. 78 percent of workers say homeworking has improved their work-life balance.

38 percent of workers earning £40,000 or more, and 32 percent of those earning between £30,000 and £40,000, hybrid worked between 27 April and 8 May 2022. Homeworkers are typically higher earners. (Office for National Statistics, Is hybrid here to stay? (UK 2022))
41 percent of UK companies say they believe homeworking/hybrid working has increased their organisation’s overall productivity and efficiency. This compares to 33 percent in 2020. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
44 percent say they enjoy the ability to focus better on their work while homeworking. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
78 percent of those who work from home in some capacity in the UK say that being able to work from home gives them an improved work life balance. (Office for National Statistics, Is hybrid here to stay? (UK 2022))
The top two benefits of remote work are flexibility in how people can spend their time (67 percent) and the ability to choose their work location (62 percent). (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
44 percent of people who identified as having a chronic disability or illness say their condition is the reason they want to work from home. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
71 percent of employees say that the ability to balance personal and work life while homeworking is helpful. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
76 percent of working parents/guardians cite their personal circumstances as a reason they pursued remote work. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
38 percent of mostly US respondents to a FlexJobs survey estimate that they are saving at least $5,000 a year working remotely. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)

Is working from home bad for your mental health?

Although there are many benefits to working from home, and some report a boost to their mental health, it’s not without its challenges. 24 percent experience loneliness while homeworking.

52 percent of people who started working remotely due to COVID-19 feel less connected to their colleagues, however 18 percent feel more connected. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
48 percent of UK companies say they are concerned about inclusion risks if employees move to remote or hybrid work, but a similar proportion (46 percent) are not concerned. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
56 percent say they experienced workplace burnout during the pandemic. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
24 percent of people experience loneliness while homeworking. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
25 percent of nomadic workers say they struggle to unplug from work. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
20 percent of WFH employees say that they unintentionally end up working more while working from home. 40 percent of remote workers who shifted to WFH due to COVID-19 say they are working more. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
55 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds offered the option to work fully remotely say mental-health issues impacts their ability to perform effectively, though only 17 percent of people aged 55 to 64 say the same. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
45 percent of remote workers say their level of work-related stress has increased somewhat or substantially in 2022. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)

Is homeworking good or bad for your career?

There’s little consensus regarding if working from home is good or bad for your career. Some think it does have an impact, or worry that it will, and some say it has had no impact so far. Experiences are very individual in this area, and may vary across industry and level of seniority.

The majority of remote working employees (55 percent) don’t believe that career growth is more difficult for remote workers; 14 percent believe that remote work makes career progression less difficult, and 41 percent believe it has no impact at all. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
36 percent of people say working from home hurts their opportunities to be mentored at work. (However, 10 percent say it helps.) (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
24 percent of employees in the UK who are able to work from home are concerned about being treated less favourably than their colleagues in the office. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
40 percent of people say their pay is tied to a certain location or city, even though they work from home. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
58 percent of Americans report being able to work from home at least one day a week, and 35 percent are able to work from home five days a week, with this data including both “blue collar” and “white collar” workers, showing remote working options are available across many sectors. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
73 percent of employees say their pay has not been impacted for switching to remote work. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
49 percent of employees feel managers view those in the office as harder working and more trustworthy than those working from home. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)
89 percent of employees in the computer or mathematical fields say they have some remote working opportunities. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
86 percent of employees in the business ops or financial ops fields say they have some remote working opportunities. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
71 percent of homeworkers say their manager trusts them a great deal to get their work done. Those who work from home all the time are the most likely to feel trusted: 79 percent of these workers say their manager trusts them a great deal, compared with 64 percent of hybrid workers. (Pew Research Center 2023 survey 2023)
55 percent of employees say that the shift to remote work due to COVID-19 either had no impact on their career trajectory or made career growth less difficult. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
31 percent of employees say they only need contact with their boss a few times a week while working from home. 22 percent wish their boss would check in with them ‘as little as possible.’ (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)

Has remote working impacted recruitment and jobseeking?

Companies have had to adapt to recruit new talent in a world where remote work is often seen as must-have. Remote work is one of the top three concerns of jobseekers, with many saying they would quit their current job if they couldn’t work remotely.

Although resignations have slowed slightly, 43 percent of US businesses say that The Great Resignation (2021) negatively impacted their organisation. However, remote-first organisations were least often negatively impacted by issues related to resignations, such as finding and hiring new talent quickly. (UpWork’s Future Workforce Report 2022)
58 percent of workers say they would ‘absolutely’ look for a new job if they cannot continue remote work. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
If the option to work from home was taken away, 66 percent of workers say they would immediately start looking for a job that offered this flexibility. 39 percent would just quit. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)
4 percent of UK employees say they have left a job in the last year due to lack of flexible working opportunities, and 9 percent have changed their whole career due to lack of flexibility in the sector. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
In a McKinsey survey, the third most popular factor when jobseeking was remote work (after ‘more pay or hours’, and ‘better career opportunities’). (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
61 percent of American men report being offered the opportunity to work remotely, as compared to 52 percent of American women. (McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey 2022)
In the UK, women (55 percent) are more likely than men (47 percent) to have flexible working arrangements. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
56 percent of UK organisations say it is important to provide flexible working options when advertising jobs. (CIPD Update on Flexible and Hybrid Working Practices in the UK 2022)
63 percent of businesses surveyed by Buffer currently promote flexible working hours. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
“Leavers” (those respondents who left the company within six weeks of being surveyed by HBR) had 67 percent fewer one-on-one spontaneous meetings. They also had 22 percent fewer scheduled one-on-one meetings with line managers and 20 percent fewer group meetings, indicated reduced engagement. (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)

Can you manage a team via virtual meetings?

Video conferencing is the main way managers and team stay connected, along with asynchronous chat and email. While this has its issues, many workplaces have successfully adapted to a remote meeting and management culture, with more efficient meetings and spontaneous meetings.

50 percent of employees say they like video conferencing. 14 percent dislike it. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
61 percent of employees say they are having more meetings due to remote working. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
37 percent of companies have a designated ‘no meeting’ day. (Buffer State of Remote Work report 2022)
54 percent of people cite unreliable WiFi and technical problems as some of their biggest challenges when homeworking. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
75 percent say ‘not having to travel to meetings’ is the reason they prefer video meetings. (FlexJobs 2021 remote working survey)
Remote meetings have decreased in length by 25 percent from an average of 43 minutes per meeting in 2020 to 33 minutes in 2022. (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)
The average number of participants per meeting dropped by 50 percent from an average of 20 participants per meeting in 2020 to 10 participants per meeting in 2022. (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)
There were 60 percent more remote meetings per employee in 2022 as compared to 2020 (a change of an average of five to eight meetings per week per employee). (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)
In 2020, 17 percent of meetings were one-on-one, but in 2022, 42 percent of meetings were one-on-one. (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)
In 2020, only 17 percent of one-on-one meetings were unscheduled, but in 2022, 66 percent of one-on-one meetings were unscheduled, meaning meetings have become more spontaneous. (Harvard Business Review 2022 remote meeting research study)
Only 36 percent of employers have upgraded their video meeting technology since the pandemic. (Owl labs and Global Workplace Analytics State of Remote Work report 2022)

Further homeworking resources

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