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Study: The Latest Work From Home Trends
There’s been plenty of speculation about whether the work-from-home movement will continue. Bloomberg’s contention is that a weaker U.S. job market might mean that “companies will be emboldened and may pull back on letting employees work remotely.
On the other hand, a New York Times article indicated that “Getting Rid of Remote Work Will Take More than a Downturn.”
For all of the headlines, the numbers show the actual trends. According to WFH Research’s February 2023 Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA), work from home is still going on. Just not as much as it used to.
The Employees
Perhaps unsurprisingly, respondents indicated that the pandemic permanently increased their work from home; many of those responding noted that they worked at least a full day at home during the week. Though working from home tends to be more common in major cities than small towns, this number is declining.
The Employers
Another interesting metric was that 13% of full-time employees were fully remote, 59% full-time on-site and 28% operating in a hybrid arrangement. Additionally, employer WFH plans declined to 2.2 days per week, for those individuals able to work from home. This explains why the percentage of days worked from home fell by 27% in January.
And these days, employers are offering fewer fully remote jobs than in the past, posting more 100% online jobs.
The Economic Impact
The study also delved into spending on amenities and services when employees work from home versus in-office. Perhaps unsurprisingly, spending decreases on work from home days.
The amount reduced ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 per employee in each city. New York City came out on top with the highest reduction in spending at $4,661. Meanwhile, Philadelphia businesses experienced a reduction of $2,161 in spending during work-from-home days.
- ◦People
- ◦Economy
- ◦Recruitment
