University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
State Of Remote Work 2023
Article

State Of Remote Work 2023

How remote workers from around the world feel about remote work, the benefits and struggles that come along with it, and what it’s like to be a remote worker in 2023

Buffer, Remote OK and Nomad List
Buffer, 2023
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In his 1973 book The Telecommunications-Transportation Tradeoff, Jack Nilles, a former NASA engineer, coined the terms “telework” and “telecommuting.” Back then, his idea seemed futuristic and quixotic. Nilles promised that remote work would improve traffic congestion and quality of life. Fast-forward 50 years and Nilles’s vision has finally manifested: Anybody with a PC and an internet connection can work remotely. While traffic is still an issue in major cities, if this report by Buffer, Remote OK and Nomad List is any indication, most workers agree that remote work improves quality of life.

Summary

In 2023, remote work is wildly popular among those who can take advantage of it.

Buffer, Remote OK and Nomad List collaborated on a 2023 report on the state of remote work. The report’s findings rely on survey responses from a diverse pool of 3,000 remote workers, 53% of whom are employees; 43%, freelancers; and 4%, business owners. The average respondent is white (48%), male (61%), and millennial (58%), with the largest segment (41%) working in software or IT.

Responses demonstrate enthusiasm for remote work, optimism about career advancement, and an unwillingness to return to the office. Some 91% of respondents report positive experiences of working away from the office, and 98% claimed they would like to work remotely, at least partially, for the remainder of their careers. Furthermore, 98% would recommend the benefits of remote work to a friend.

Flexibility is the biggest boon of remote work, but many remote workers struggle with loneliness.

Respondents consider flexibility to be the biggest benefit of remote work. Workers ...

About the Authors

Buffer is a software application for managing and analyzing brand building and customer engagement on social media. Remote OK is a job board for remote workers, and Nomad List provides traveling remote workers with information about the work and living conditions in global destinations.

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