50+ Interesting Working From Home Statistics (2020)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working skyrocketed during March 2020 as many countries went into lockdown and employees were encouraged to work from home where possible. In the below Google Trends graph, you can still see the interest is significantly up compared to previous years.

This has presented many advantages and disadvantages for employees across the world and for many, the situation is entirely different from person to person.

Although, it seems the general consensus is that our working lives will be changed forever moving forwards and even after the virus has been eradicated from society.

There has been a lot of misconceptions around working from home since the year began, that’s why we’ve rounded up 50+ statistics & trends from trusted sources – some may surprise you!

Remote workers save on average 17 days of free time every year by not having to commute to their office.

Source: Airtasker

However, remote employees work 1.4 more days extra a month – which is nearly 17 more days a year.

Source: Airtasker

When working remotely, co-workers chat about non-work-related topics 37 minutes less than those in an office.

Source: Airtasker

Workers save an average of £44.78 a week by working from home, due to cutting out commuting & lunch costs.

Source: Finder

26% of British workers plan on continuing working from home permanently after lockdown.

Source: Finder

One in five remote workers reported that they struggle with loneliness.

Source: Finder

67% of companies expect working from home to be a permanent or long-lasting fixture of our society.

Source: Small Business Trends

Superfast broadband coverage reaches more than 95% of residential homes in the UK.

Source: ONS

65% of company founders said that if stay-at-home orders were lifted tomorrow, they would not return their businesses into the office.

Source: Entrepreneur Europe

48% of surveyed individuals said working remotely made their jobs more difficult.

Source: Slack

72% of technology executives said that team workloads had increased more & people were working harder

Source: CNBC

23% of people working from home for the very first time are less satisfied when working remotely.

Source: Slack

22% of employees working from home purchased a VPN during the pandemic.

Source: Forbes

On a global level, only 25% of workers are currently able to work outside of their offices.

Source: JPMorgan

90% of employees say that allowing flexible working arrangements increases morale.

Source: FlexJobs

50% of employees say the number one reason why they go into the office is to collaborate with other team members.

Source: PWC

28% of remote workers recognize that they are more productive while working from home.

Source: PWC

30% of executives say they’ll need less office space in three years’ time due to the positive attitudes towards remote working.

Source: PWC

27% percent of people choose coffee shops as their secondary work from home location.

Source: Buffer

Around 80% of workers do not have their home broadband bill covered by their employer whilst working from home.

Source: Buffer

After the lack of collaboration and a sense of loneliness, not being able to unplug is remote workers’ biggest struggle while working from home.

Source: Buffer

65% of Americans do not have fast enough internet to support workable video conferences.

Source: Stanford News

36% of workers would choose to be able to work from home over receiving a pay rise.

Source: Global Workplace Analytics

45% of office workers in the UK are actively prepared to take a reduction in their salaries in order to continue working remotely for the long-term.

Source: Owl Labs

90% of those in charge of security within large organizations feel that home-based workers are not a security risk.

Source: Global Workplace Analytics

Over two-thirds of employers have reported increased productivity from their remote workers as a result of working from home.

Source: Global Workplace Analytics

29% of business leaders are not taking any additional measures to ensure or track productivity amongst their remote workers.

Source: Gartner

41% of current remote workers would think about resigning if they were forced to return to the office against their will.

Source: Owl Labs

62% of employees believe that their company should provide free COVID-19 tests while working remotely during the pandemic.

Source: Owl Labs

16% of workers in the UK believe that their company should be contributing to their rent or mortgage costs while working from home due to the pandemic.

Source: Owl Labs

The amount of regular remote working employees (excluding the self-employed) has grown by a whopping 173% in just 15 years.

Source: Fundera

Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed have had to partially or fully fund their own tech upgrades

Source: Lenovo

Around 86% of employees reckon that they are most productive when they work alone.

Source: Fundera

79% of people have said the lack of a commute is one of the reasons why their lives have improved while working remotely.

Source: FlexJobs

86% of parents now want to work flexibly, compared to 46% pre-coronavirus

Source: World Economic Forum

In the UK, London is the most popular city for home working with just over half (57.2%) of employees doing some work from home during COVID-19.

Source: ONS

43% of jobs in the UK could be carried out at home without substantial economic disruption.

Source: WISERD

Over 80% of people said that when faced with two similar job offers, they would turn down the one that didn’t offer remotely working.

Source: IWG Global Workplace Survey

The US economy could be boosted by $4.5 trillion every year as a result of adopting flexible working.

Source: IWG Global Workplace Survey

77% say they’re finding new times to be productive outside of the normal 9–5 hours.

Source: Zapier

25% of British workers are unable to work from home at all.

Source: YouGov

Remote job applications have increased nearly 2.5 times globally from March.

Source: BBC

60% of workers say their employers have not made accommodations to their schedules to help with parenting duties.

Source: BBC

Accommodation & food industries, less than 10% of people currently work from home.

Source: CIPD

99% of people say they’d like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers

Source: ResumeLab

63% of the British public would support the introduction of a four-day working week.

Source: Statista

The agriculture sector has the largest percentage of home workers (50.3%).

Source: Statista

Only 58% of Brits have exclusive access to a laptop to work from home on.

Source: Ascenti

72% of people saying that they have worked on their sofa since the pandemic began.

Source: Ascenti

During the lockdown, 26% of Brits who have been working from home, have done so from an ironing board rather than a desk.

Source: Ascenti

You may have found some of these statistics and trends quite hard to believe – or even very shocking. Perhaps certain results seemed slightly off-kilter with what you expected, or confused you a little? Many of us seem divided on the issue of working from home.

Nevertheless, there is a lot to be said about the debate both for and against working remotely. It is clear that a lot of thought, study, and analysis has gone into both sides of the argument. These 50+ statistics and trends may have even altered your own opinion.

50+ Interesting Working From Home Statistics

Remote workers save on average 17 days of free time every year by not having to commute to their office.

However, remote employees work 1.4 more days extra a month – which is nearly 17 more days a year.

When working remotely, co-workers chat about non-work-related topics 37 minutes less than those in an office.

Workers save an average of £44.78 a week by working from home, due to cutting out commuting & lunch costs.

26% of British workers plan on continuing working from home permanently after lockdown.

One in five remote workers reported that they struggle with loneliness.

67% of companies expect working from home to be a permanent or long-lasting fixture of our society.

Superfast broadband coverage reaches more than 95% of residential homes in the UK.

65% of company founders said that if stay-at-home orders were lifted tomorrow, they would not return their businesses into the office.

48% of surveyed individuals said working remotely made their jobs more difficult.

72% of technology executives said that team workloads had increased more & people were working harder

23% of people working from home for the very first time are less satisfied when working remotely.

22% of employees working from home purchased a VPN during the pandemic.

On a global level, only 25% of workers are currently able to work outside of their offices.

90% of employees say that allowing flexible working arrangements increases morale.

50% of employees say the number one reason why they go into the office is to collaborate with other team members.

28% of remote workers recognize that they are more productive while working from home.

30% of executives say they’ll need less office space in three years’ time due to the positive attitudes towards remote working.

27% percent of people choose coffee shops as their secondary work from home location.

Around 80% of workers do not have their home broadband bill covered by their employer whilst working from home.

After the lack of collaboration and a sense of loneliness, not being able to unplug is remote workers’ biggest struggle while working from home.

65% of Americans do not have fast enough internet to support workable video conferences.

36% of workers would choose to be able to work from home over receiving a pay rise.

45% of office workers in the UK are actively prepared to take a reduction in their salaries in order to continue working remotely for the long-term.

90% of those in charge of security within large organizations feel that home-based workers are not a security risk.

Over two-thirds of employers have reported increased productivity from their remote workers as a result of working from home.

29% of business leaders are not taking any additional measures to ensure or track productivity amongst their remote workers.

41% of current remote workers would think about resigning if they were forced to return to the office against their will.

62% of employees believe that their company should provide free COVID-19 tests while working remotely during the pandemic.

16% of workers in the UK believe that their company should be contributing to their rent or mortgage costs while working from home due to the pandemic.

The amount of regular remote working employees (excluding the self-employed) has grown by a whopping 173% in just 15 years.

Nearly 40 percent of those surveyed have had to partially or fully fund their own tech upgrades

Around 86% of employees reckon that they are most productive when they work alone.

79% of people have said the lack of a commute is one of the reasons why their lives have improved while working remotely.

86% of parents now want to work flexibly, compared to 46% pre-coronavirus

In the UK, London is the most popular city for home working with just over half (57.2%) of employees doing some work from home during COVID-19.

43% of jobs in the UK could be carried out at home without substantial economic disruption.

Over 80% of people said that when faced with two similar job offers, they would turn down the one that didn’t offer remotely working.

The US economy could be boosted by $4.5 trillion every year as a result of adopting flexible working.

77% say they’re finding new times to be productive outside of the normal 9–5 hours.

25% of British workers are unable to work from home at all.

Remote job applications have increased nearly 2.5 times globally from March.

60% of workers say their employers have not made accommodations to their schedules to help with parenting duties.

Accommodation & food industries, less than 10% of people currently work from home.

99% of people say they’d like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers

63% of the British public would support the introduction of a four-day working week.

The agriculture sector has the largest percentage of home workers (50.3%).

Only 58% of Brits have exclusive access to a laptop to work from home on.

72% of people saying that they have worked on their sofa since the pandemic began.

During the lockdown, 26% of Brits who have been working from home, have done so from an ironing board rather than a desk.

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