How Much Do Today’s Employees Value Remote Work?

New survey reveals the majority of U.S. employed adults find remote work not only desirable, but a necessity in today's workforce.

Nearly 70% of U.S. employed adults feel positively about remote work, according to the latest survey from CareerBuilder. More than three in five respondents (61%) said they work better remotely compared to working in their company’s physical workplace.

Remote Work survey
(Photo: Adobe Stock by rh2010)

When evaluating job opportunities, 77% of employed job seekers place at least some importance on the option for remote work, with 21% saying it’s absolutely essential when determining if a role is right for them. Most employed adults prioritize remote work over other incentives including the potential for advancement (34%), job security (33%) and a better company culture fit (24%).

“This data shows that job seekers and employees are seeing the value in a changing work environment and this type of flexibility has become a priority in the scope of their current and future careers,” said Susan Arthur, CEO of CareerBuilder. “We are also seeing these sentiments translate directly on our site – employers who include a work-from-home or remote option are currently attracting seven times more applicants.”

Additional findings from the survey related to remote work include:

  • 79% feel a remote work option is a necessity in today’s workforce
  • 40% feel happier
  • 37% feel more productive

Two in three employed adults (67%) would like to work remotely at least three days per week and 28% would prefer to work remotely at a full-time capacity. In fact, 38% of employees — and more than half of Millennials (51%) — would quit if they weren’t able to work remotely.

Of the employed, only 29% said remote work makes teamwork difficult and intimidating, 23% feel isolated and 18% feel unsupported.

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