Authors would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Don Mackenzie and other researchers from the University of Washington for sharing the survey data with the public. Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4 present the counts of the twenty-eight variables used in this study. Table 1 shows that the number of participants was nearly even, with 49% female and 51% male. Other kinds of virtual transactions such as telemedicine, online banking, and streaming entertainment have also taken off. Online doctor consultations through Practo, a telehealth company in India, grew more than tenfold between April and November 2020. These virtual practices may decline somewhat as economies reopen but are likely to continue well above levels seen before the pandemic.

Among those who do have teleworkable jobs, Hispanic adults and those without a college degree are among the most likely to say they rarely or never work from home. Fully 86% of workers who are not working exclusively from home – either by choice or because they can’t work remotely – say they have at least some in-person remote work statistics interactions with other people at their workplace. Among these workers, 52% say they are at least somewhat concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus from the people they interact with at work, including 20% who are very concerned. A similar share (48%) say they are either not too or not at all concerned.

of executives believe remote workers pose a greater security risk

Those working from home are finding it somewhat less easy to get their work done without interruptions and to feel motivated to do their work. While a majority say it has been very or somewhat easy for them to be able to get their work done without interruptions, roughly a third say this has been somewhat (24%) or very (8%) difficult. Across demographic groups, most who say their job can be done from home say they are currently teleworking all or most of the time. Policymakers could support businesses by expanding and enhancing the digital infrastructure. Even in advanced economies, almost 20 percent of workers in rural households lack access to the internet. Governments could also consider extending benefits and protections to independent workers and to workers working to build their skills and knowledge mid-career.

• When the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread throughout the world, many agencies shifted towards work from home (WFH) policies due to widespread lockdowns and the necessity of decreasing the spread of the virus.
• And then, the company said they were going to have to relocate cities to report to the same offices as their teams.
• In contrast, only 20% of teleworkers who don’t have children under 18 say the same.
• Those who worked from home before the coronavirus outbreak may have an advantage in this regard.
• But I can’t think of another time when the workplace has changed fundamentally overnight.
• These companies are pioneers in the remote work paradigm, highlighting the feasibility of such models and paving the way for others to follow.

So Emma, bring us inside these corporate efforts that I know you’ve been chronicling to make this hybrid situation better and happier for workers. You might go in on a different day than your boss or than your closest work friend. Now, doing this kind of half-in-the-office, half-at-home, has broken up our work bonds.

Report on the topic

Some companies are already planning to shift to flexible workspaces after positive experiences with remote work during the pandemic, a move that will reduce the overall space they need and bring fewer workers into offices each day. A survey of 278 executives by McKinsey in August 2020 found that on average, they https://remotemode.net/ planned to reduce office space by 30 percent. Demand for restaurants and retail in downtown areas and for public transportation may decline as a result. Competition for top performers and digital innovators demands that employers understand how much flexibility their talent pool is accustomed to and expects.

In our global survey of 800 senior executives in July 2020, two-thirds said they were stepping up investment in automation and AI either somewhat or significantly. Production figures for robotics in China exceeded prepandemic levels by June 2020. Many consumers discovered the convenience of e-commerce and other online activities during the pandemic. In 2020, the share of e-commerce grew at two to five times the rate before COVID-19 (Exhibit 2). Roughly three-quarters of people using digital channels for the first time during the pandemic say they will continue using them when things return to “normal,” according to McKinsey Consumer Pulse surveys conducted around the world.

Workplace tech statistics 2021

Remote work may also put a dent in business travel as its extensive use of videoconferencing during the pandemic has ushered in a new acceptance of virtual meetings and other aspects of work. While leisure travel and tourism are likely to rebound after the crisis, McKinsey’s travel practice estimates that about 20 percent of business travel, the most lucrative segment for airlines, may not return. This would have significant knock-on effects on employment in commercial aerospace, airports, hospitality, and food service. Meanwhile, these data give us early insight into how the working world is evolving.

• For many of these workers, the pandemic has brought a new concern about their health.
• Mothers and fathers are about equally likely to say this has been difficult for them.
• Perhaps the most obvious impact of COVID-19 on the labor force is the dramatic increase in employees working remotely.
• This percentage underscores the fact that while remote work is on an upswing, traditional in-office work is far from obsolete.