A recent study by researchers at Stanford University and human resources company Gusto revealed that remote workers are now living further away from their employers. The study found that the average distance between an employee’s residence and their workplace increased significantly from 10 to 27 miles between 2019 and 2023, with 5.5% of employees residing over 50 miles away from their employers. The report specifically highlighted that high-earning Millennials working in the Information sector or Finance & Insurance were more likely to live far from their workplace.
As the remote work trend continues to evolve, experts believe that a full return to the traditional five-days-in-the-office policy is unlikely. Stephan Meier, a professor of business at Columbia University, emphasized the growing importance of hybrid work arrangements, predicting that more firms will find ways to manage this model effectively in the coming year. A USA TODAY Blueprint survey revealed that the percentage of fully remote workers decreases as income levels rise, with those earning over $200,000 per year having over 25% of individuals not working in an office setting at all.
The impact of remote work varies across different states, with Colorado having the highest percentage of remote workers at 21%, while Mississippi reports the lowest at 5.5%. Additionally, one-third of hiring managers noted that productivity has increased due to remote work settings, as indicated in Upwork’s Future of Remote Work study. This shift in work dynamics suggests a continued shift towards hybrid and remote work arrangements in the future.
