Key Takeaways:
- Remote work listings have seen a 50% decline since February 2020.
- Most occupations that require in-person work are returning back to the workplace amidst the ending pandemic.
- Greenwich HR’s data is showing a gradual decline in availability of remote work positions.
Changing the perspective on work/life balance was one of the few positive effects of the pandemic. Companies were put to the test as they sent their employees home to complete their work for what they thought might be a few weeks, quickly turning into a few years. Many companies saw the benefit it had on their organization. Employees were happier and more productive. Companies were able to save money on rent, utilities, office supplies, and also had the benefit of decreased liability.
According to a recent study by Apollo Technical, remote workers are 47% more productive than those who work in an office setting. This study also found that on average, work from home employees have 8.5 extra hours of free time to spend with family and friends, complete household chores, go to appointments, run errands, work on hobbies, etc. Remote workers are also more active and healthier than those who work in an office setting, with more time for exercise.
It is apparent that remote work is beneficial for both the employee and the employer, so why have the number of remote work listings slowly declined over the last few months? According to our data, remote work listings dropped 18% in February 2022, and 50% in March 2022. Although remote work culture has become somewhat of the norm in today’s labor market, and will most likely remain prevalent in our society going forward, our data is showing a trending decline in remote work listings. So what could be causing this decline?
The number of available remote work positions still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, but as life slowly returns back to normal a large majority of select occupations are needed to resume in-person work. According to the Bureau U.S. Labor Statistics the following occupations have seen a significant decrease in remote work positions since 2021: teaching, tech, legal, social services, life, physical and social sciences, business and financial operations, architecture and engineering, arts, entertainment, and sports, office administrative support, and sales. It is obvious that many of these specific occupations require workers to be present in person to get the job done.
Overall, it seems that in person work is becoming more in demand amidst the hopeful end of the pandemic. Workers are needed in various in-person roles and occupations to make up for all the lay-offs and staff shortages over the last two years. Despite the recent declining data trend, remote work is still prevalent and needed in today’s labor market. Remote work will likely continue to be more accessible than ever, and a negotiable benefit for potential employees who need more work/life balance.
If your hiring team is struggling to decide on whether to hire candidates for remote or in-person positions, the Greenwich.HR data platform is the perfect solution to help you make your listing decision. Our data platform is the largest and fastest source of real-time labor market data. Greenwich.HR clients are using our high-definition data platform to take their workforce analytics efforts to the next level. Want to learn more about recent remote work listings and how you can compete in the current labor market? Get in touch today!
*This article is based on month-over-month growth from the Greenwich.HR dataset as of January 2022
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