Since the beginning of 2023, big tech firms like Amazon and Twitter have led the way in mandating a return to the office. Most recently, even Zoom, the poster child of remote working, is calling its employees back to office. Does this signal the end of remote work as we know it?
Our most recent research analyzed all advertised job vacancies across the US between July 2022 and July 2023, revealing the changing proportions of ads specifying a workplace location as either remote, hybrid, or in-office. No assumptions were made for the majority of ads which didn’t specify workplace location.
We offer a glimpse into the evolving workplace trend, uncovering where the future of the office may be heading for the second half of 2023. Let’s dive into the results!
It’s not just the big firms returning to the office
Our data reveals a distinct shift in workplace preferences. Year over year, we’re spotting a steady increase in the proportion of job ads marked as office roles, from 3.6% in July 2022 to 4.2%. Similarly, hybrid roles accounted for 3.7% of all advertised vacancies in July 2023, up 0.7 percentage points from 3% a year ago. The rise of hybrid roles could be an indicator that while employers want employees back in the office, they are taking a softer approach. Hybrid roles could merely be a transition, with a traditional office being the end goal, or it could simply be a “middle ground” solution employers are leaning on to have more control over workers’ work while accommodating their demands.
On the flip side, remote roles are sliding fast, with the proportion of advertised remote jobs dropping from 21.2% in July 2022 to 17.1% in July 2023. April was the turning point when remote positions fell below 20%. The good part is that remote jobs continue to reign supreme compared to office and hybrid roles, boasting over 700,000 opportunities.
The six-figure advantage
Those who earn six figures not only have a bigger paycheck but also greater flexibility. Our data reflects remote jobs are more common among six figures earners than those earning under $100K. Particularly, more than one in three jobs offering a salary between $140K and $160K and between $180K and $200K were remote positions in July 2022. By comparison, just one in 20 jobs offering a salary under $60K were remote.
With the widespread return-to-office mandate, we’ve seen a significant drop in the proportion of remote jobs across all salary bands. Remote positions among $180K-$200K and $140-$160K earners experienced the biggest decline, down 32% and 24% to 7.8% and 11.4%. That said, not all six-figure earners are required to return to the office. Interestingly, fewer of the highest paid roles ($200K+) are office-based compared to a year ago, accounting for 1.2% of all positions, down from 5.3%.
By comparison, jobs paying less than $40K are growing more likely to be office-based, with the proportion of office roles rising from 2.1% to 3.6%, while vacancies specifying remote work have slid from 4.4% to 3%.
Where to look for remote, hybrid, or office jobs?
If you enjoy working from home
If you’re keen on remote work, industries like Scientific & QA, IT, PR, Teaching and Energy have a wealth of remote roles. Over one in three advertised jobs in the Scientific & QA sector were remote this July. Meanwhile, there were close to 160,000 remote IT vacancies in July 2023. Open roles include Information Risk Consultant, Security Engineer, and Cloud Developer.
If you are aiming for a mix of in-person and remote work
If you want a bit of both, many hybrid opportunities lie with Accounting & Finance, IT, PR, and HR & Recruitment sectors. Hybrid roles in the IT sector accounted for 13.9% of all positions, advertising more than 76,000 roles in July 2023.
If you thrive on in-person interactions
Maybe you prefer working in the office as you enjoy interacting with your colleagues face-to-face, or you find it more productive to work onsite.
Focus your job search on sectors related to Energy, Engineering, Trade & Construction, and Scientific & QA. While remote roles in the IT sector accounted for 9.3% of all positions, there were close to 160,000 roles available in July 2023.
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