With the rise of remote work over the past few years, an increasing number of jobs on sites like LinkedIn are now listed as remote or hybrid roles. Many companies have adapted to enable employees to work from home either full-time or for a portion of the week. This shift towards location flexibility provides benefits for both employers and employees.
As remote work becomes more normalized, job seekers are specifically searching for and applying to remote jobs. Understanding the percentage of remote roles available can help job seekers focus their search and evaluate how competitive remote positions may be. It also gives insight into remote work trends across different industries and professions.
In this article, we will analyze data from LinkedIn to determine what percentage of jobs are currently listed as remote. We will look at remote work percentages overall as well as by industry, job title, company size, and other categories.
Overall Percentage of Remote Jobs on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking and job sites, with over 740 million members worldwide as of 2021. With its vast database of jobs, analyzing remote work data from LinkedIn can provide a comprehensive look at broader remote work trends.
According to LinkedIn data from 2022, approximately 15% of jobs on their platform are listed as remote. This indicates a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when only around 4% of LinkedIn jobs were remote. However, it also suggests the majority of roles still require being on-site.
Key takeaways:
– 15% of jobs on LinkedIn are currently listed as remote
– Remote work has increased substantially from 4% in 2019
– Majority of LinkedIn jobs still require in-person work
Percentage of Remote Jobs by Industry
While 15% of jobs overall on LinkedIn are remote, this percentage varies significantly across industries. Some sectors and job types are more conducive to remote work than others.
Below is a table showing the percentage of remote jobs on LinkedIn by top industry:
Industry | Percentage of Remote Jobs |
---|---|
Computer Software | 22% |
Internet and Ecommerce | 21% |
IT Services and IT Consulting | 19% |
Market Research | 17% |
Accounting and Tax Preparation | 15% |
HR Services | 14% |
Financial Services | 13% |
Marketing and Advertising | 11% |
Education | 9% |
Healthcare Services | 5% |
Some key observations:
– Computer software and internet/ecommerce have the highest percentages of remote work, over 20% of jobs. These technology-focused industries are well-positioned for remote work.
– Industries like healthcare services and education have lower percentages of remote roles given the in-person nature of much of the work.
– Even in industries like finance and marketing with lower remote percentages, the number of remote roles has still increased substantially since pre-pandemic times.
Remote Work by Job Title and Function
Looking beyond industry, the percentage of remote jobs also varies significantly based on job title and function. Roles involving technical skills, computer-based work and less in-person collaboration typically have higher remote percentages.
Below are examples of remote work percentages for some common job titles and functions:
Job Title/Function | Percentage Remote |
---|---|
Software Developer | 30% |
Project Manager | 25% |
Computer Systems Analyst | 22% |
Writer | 20% |
Accountant | 18% |
Marketing Manager | 15% |
Administrative Assistant | 12% |
Sales Representative | 10% |
Nurse | 2% |
Key takeaways:
– Technical and computer-focused roles like software developer have very high remote percentages
– Sales and service jobs tend to have lower remote percentages given in-person requirements
– There is significant variance even within the same field (e.g. accountants 18% vs. nurses 2%)
Remote Work by Company Size
Does the size of a company impact the share of remote roles they offer? Large companies tend to have greater resources and flexibility to accommodate remote work policies. However, smaller companies can also take advantage of location flexibility to access talent.
The table below compares the percentage of remote jobs on LinkedIn by company size:
Company Size | Percentage Remote |
---|---|
500+ employees | 18% |
51-200 employees | 15% |
11-50 employees | 13% |
2-10 employees | 10% |
Key observations:
– Larger companies over 500 employees have the highest remote percentages, at 18%
– Small companies under 50 employees have lower remote percentages around 10-13%
– However, even smaller companies still have significant remote roles, showing broad adoption
Factors Impacting the Increase in Remote Jobs
What has driven the substantial increase in remote job listings on LinkedIn and other platforms since the pandemic began? There are several key factors at play:
COVID-19 Forced Shifts
The pandemic caused shutdowns forcing many companies to mandate remote work initially as a temporary measure. But as remote operations proved successful, many made long-term shifts. With infrastructure now in place to enable remote work, companies are opening more permanent remote roles.
Proven Success of Remote Productivity
Previously, there had been skepticism about whether employees could be productive working from home. But with two years of successful remote work, those concerns have largely been dispelled. Companies are more convinced of remote productivity.
Access to Global Talent
Remote work enables companies to access talent globally rather than being restricted to local geographic hires. This is especially beneficial for small companies or startups based outside major hubs.
Employee Demand
After experiencing the benefits of remote work, many employees now prefer its flexibility. Job seekers are actively seeking out remote roles, further driving demand. Surveys show 50-70% of workers want a long-term mix of remote work.
Cost Savings
Remote can lower costs by reducing office space needs. One survey found 75% of company leaders plan to shift to more hybrid remote work to cut real estate costs.
Challenges With Remote Hiring
Despite the rise in remote listings, some challenges remain:
Increased Competition
With remote positions open to talent globally, the applicant pool is far larger, increasing competition. One LinkedIn analysis found remote job applications increased 35% during the pandemic.
Hiring Bias
Some hiring managers still prefer candidates located nearby or bias against remote resumes. This can hamper qualified applicants despite policy shifts.
Collaboration Struggles
Fully remote teams can face challenges building rapport, company culture, and collaborative workflows. Hybrid models help overcome this issue.
Technical Barriers
Some roles require specialized equipment, high-speed internet, and technology access not available in all locations. This can limit full remote eligibility.
Regulatory Issues
Companies expanding remote work globally have to navigate varying regulations across states, countries, and legal jurisdictions – adding complexity.
Best Practices for Remote Hiring
For employers seeking to leverage remote roles, some best practices include:
Flexible Options
Offer a mix of fully remote and hybrid roles rather than fully remote-only. This expands the available talent pool.
Virtual Onboarding
Perfect the virtual onboarding process through online paperwork, video welcome meetings, and digital equipment shipment.
Inclusive Culture
Facilitate remote team bonding through regular video check-ins and virtual events to build connections.
Collaborative Technology
Invest in platforms like SharePoint, Teams, and Zoom to enable seamless communication and file sharing across locations.
Results-Focused
Set clear objectives and evaluate team members based on delivery rather than time spent online. Output is what matters.
Equal Advancement
Offer remote staff equal training, mentorship, and promotion opportunities. Avoid an in-office “out of sight, out of mind” bias.
The Future of Remote Work
While remote job postings on LinkedIn have surged over 15% today, what might we see over the next 5 years? Here are some predictions:
Continued Expansion Across Fields
Even industries like healthcare, education, finance, and retail with lower current remote percentages will likely expand remote roles. New technologies will enable wider adoption.
Rise of Hybrid Models
Fully remote positions will increase but hybrid roles requiring partial office time will dominate. One survey predicts 30% of all roles will be hybrid by 2025.
Salaried Remote Work
A majority of new remote roles will be permanent salaried positions versus contract gigs. This will expand benefits access for remote workers.
Workation Trend
Some digital nomads will take advantage of work-from-anywhere remote roles to travel and work abroad in exotic destinations.
Backlash and Reversals
Despite positive projections, if remote productivity declines or workers feel too isolated, some companies may scale back remote access and require returns to office.
Conclusion
Remote work has expanded significantly since the COVID-19 onset, with LinkedIn data showing 15% of roles are now listed as remote compared to just 4% in 2019. However, the majority of jobs still require in-office work, especially in front-line fields like healthcare and education.
As technology improves and the benefits of remote work become more ingrained, remote hiring will likely continue rising across most industries. But hybrid telecommuting models are expected to be more dominant than fully remote positions.
For job seekers, remote jobs can provide greater flexibility and geographic freedom. But the increased applicant competition means candidates need to demonstrate strong communication, self-motivation and productivity in a virtual setting.
By leveraging best practices for online collaboration, objective performance measurement, and inclusive culture building, companies can thrive with distributed teams and access talent globally. The future of work will undoubtedly involve far more remote roles than ever before.