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Across all sectors in America, the mood around employment is gloomy. Some people are concerned about unemployment and layoffs, many report feeling underutilized in their positions, and some are dissatisfied with return-to-work policies. Recent CivicScience polling details the state of work in America five years after a global pandemic upended how Americans live and work. With economic uncertainty and return-to-work policies in mind, this report highlights preferences and expectations around remote, hybrid, and in-person work, and how it all plays into job satisfaction among men and women.
Currently, 64% of working adults work fully in-person at a physical location while the other 36% work either remotely or in a hybrid arrangement – a mix of in-person and remote work. Despite these percentages, most U.S. workers say they prefer to do their jobs in a fully remote capacity. Over the last few years, the desire to work solely at home increased while the preference for hybrid work dropped significantly. While preference for in-person work is up from 2023, it’s held steady for the past year.
What Do You Think? Do you prefer working in an office setting or working remotely?
People currently working full-time in-person roles are likely to prefer a change. Over half of those who work in-person say their preferred work situation is either remote or hybrid. A similar percentage of hybrid workers say the same, that even though their work time is a sum of in-person and at-home, their true preference is to be totally remote.
Women Want More Work from Home
Women more than men prefer remote work overall, but particularly women working in-person roles are seven percentage points more likely than men working in-person to wish they had a fully or semi-remote position. The heightened preference for remote work among women may signal systemic workplace challenges, which were only underscored during the height of the pandemic.
While women and men are both equally satisfied with their jobs, women express more concern about the state of the economy, they believe it will be harder to find a job in the next six months, and they are more likely than men to say they are looking for a side gig.
The Drawbacks of Remote Work
Despite all the documented preferences for remote work, there are people who like being in their office or at their work site. It’s notable that 45% of in-person workers prefer their current work arrangement. In fact, CivicScience data finds those who work fully in-person have greater job satisfaction, decreased likelihood to look for a new job in the next 12 months, and greater respect for leadership and trust in the CEO. This doesn’t detract from the data that suggests flexible work arrangements benefit all employees; rather, it provides a more complete picture of what it takes to support employee job satisfaction.
Take Our Poll: Do you think more companies should or should not adopt remote work on a permanent basis?
A key differentiator between in-person workers and remote or hybrid workers is how they see their time and money. Remote and hybrid workers are six percentage points more likely than fully in-person workers to value their time more than their money. Valuing time more than money could mean accepting a lower salary or a different job title in order to work remotely.
The work-from-home experience that many adapted to during the pandemic became a way of life. Returning to work has had many grumbling but data highlight important pros behind in-office time. Reconciling employee preferences and company policies will not be a one-size fits all. Both companies and employees need to collaborate in order for them to be successful.
