Remote Work Hiring Grew by 36% in the Third Quarter of 2022

Remote work that became necessary due to the pandemic is now a norm across various organizations. However, companies are increasingly recalling employees to the physical workspace, and hybrid work is gaining popularity. Considering these factors, how did the remote work model fare in 2022 and what is the outlook for the future? Ladders conducted a study to find out.

Remote work, a model that started as a necessity due to the pandemic, has now become a technology-driven alternative to the traditional work-life model. It has remained a popular working model among employees, as well as a significant number of organizations. According to LinkedInOpens a new window , remote job openings on the platform increased 357% by May 2021 compared to 2020. And the percentage of companies offering remote work is expected to increase. 

While many companies are asking their people to return to the physical workspace, several factors, such as the current economic downturn and improved work-life balance offered by remote work, have made return-to-office policies unpopular. Hybrid models are also viewed as challenging to implement.

Considering all these factors, how exactly did the remote work model fare in 2022? And what is the outlook for 2023? Ladders recently conducted a studyOpens a new window to find the answers. 

See more: 3 Strong and Effective Remote Working Trends We Expect To See in 2023

Remote Work Hiring Rose by 36%

To set the context, 4% of jobs were hiring for permanently remote positions before the pandemic. This was typically in the fields of technology and sales. In 2020, this grew to 7% of jobs hiring entirely remotely. By Q4 of 2021, about three million additional jobs moved to permanently remote status, with 18% of all professional jobs hiring remotely. 

By the end of Q4 2021, this was predicted to increase to 25% by Q4 2022. However, the study found that the number had already grown to 36% by the end of Q3 2022. 

Demand for Remote Work Is Increasing

Over the last few months, a significant number of companies recalled their employees to the physical workspace. The hybrid work model, too, gained much steam. Given these circumstances, the predictions of remote hiring to grow to 25% by Q4 2022 may be considered overly optimistic. However, the increase to 36% by the end of Q3 indicates that remote work has been embraced widely, both by employees and companies watching the bottom line.

A few other factors may be influencing this growth. For example, the inflation rate in the U.S. hit a record high of 9.1%Opens a new window in June 2022. The rising fuel and traveling costs due to inflation may have increased the demand for remote work by employees. 

The inflation may create the feeling of a tone-deaf attitude by companies not keen to develop a remote policy or those choosing to impose an alternative. But lower costs for companies and high productivity rates among remote employees across industries are encouraging.

Sales Engineering and Account Management Are Fields Hiring the Most Remotely

The study analyzed the fields of work according to the percentage of jobs hiring permanently remotely. It was found that the top five fields hire remotely for about 47-59% of their job openings. The five fields hiring remotely the least show a range of 7-11%.

The top five fields hiring remotely the most are sales engineering, account management, DevOps and site reliability, technical product management, and brand marketing and management. The five fields hiring remotely the least are pharmacy, plant and facilities management, chemical engineering, physical sciences, and teaching.

Enterprise Technology and Information Technology Are the Top Industries Hiring Remotely

When it comes to industries hiring for remote work, certain industries top the charts of hiring for remote work, while a few others hire the least for remote work. The top five industries hiring for remote work (as a percentage of all their jobs) are enterprise technology, information technology, technical services, legal and accounting, and education, government and non-profit. The industries recruiting the least for remote work are retail and consumer goods, food and beverages, manufacturing and automotive, real estate and construction, and aerospace and defense.

Turing and Amazon Are Top Companies Hiring Remotely

Many businesses like TeslaOpens a new window made it mandatory for employees to return to the physical space during the first two quarters of 2022. However, some companies are forging ahead with remote hiring. A few companies with the most remote work opportunities include Turing, Pearson, Amazon, Michael Page, Piper Companies, and Indeed.

Further, a few job titles with the most remote work opportunities are software engineer, data engineer, account executive, DevOps engineer, project manager, senior data engineer, senior product manager, and enterprise account executive.

See more: Challenges and Advantages of Hybrid Work Setup You Should Know

Outlook for 2023

Many experts have warnedOpens a new window that a significant percentage of the world economy will be affected by the recession in 2023. This will be fueled by clashes between inflation and unemployment rates. Further, the continued war in Ukraine and fears of the COVID-19 pandemic have created confusion and uncertainties.

Perceptions and realities could inform workplace planning across industries, with a few companies supporting the in-office structure believing they will have the upper hand this year. However, remote work has already proved its capability of improving employee productivity and profits. 

Overall, the outlook for remote work for this year looks solid, with inflation and other factors playing a part and hybrid solutions being reported as challenging to implement and sustain. If the world indeed sees a recession, remote work may offer a solution for many organizations, owing to low costs and high productivity.

What do you think is the future of remote work? Share with us on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .

Image source: Shutterstock

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