I spend more of my time than I care to admit (and my wife can withstand) thinking about remote workers and our potential to shape the future. 

For reference, when I talk about ‘remote work’ it’s inclusive of Work from Home, Hybrid, Remote Entrepreneur, Freelancer, Consultant, and Independent Sales.

My newsfeed is full of interesting articles, RTO scaries and remote click-bait. I guess if some of the headlines rattle me, I’m sure it can be unsettling for everyone else in the trenches. I’ve observed the biggest, scariest articles tend to be around the largest companies and employers who have the most to spend on the PR.

When I dig into the material from those who study remote /flexible work I see a different story. 

The bottom line: I remain more positive and optimistic than ever.

The American and global workforce has undergone a significant transformation, with remote, flexible and independent work arrangements now a central feature of the labor market.

Here’s my comprehensive overview of the latest  trends, statistics and observations.

Remote Work: Prevalence and Trends

Remote and Hybrid Work Are Mainstream: As of early 2025, about 29% of U.S. workdays are performed from home, and 75% of employed adults globally work from home at least some of the time. Hybrid work models have become the dominant arrangement for many organizations. 1️⃣

• Remote Job Postings: 6% of all new job postings are fully remote, a figure that has held steady since late 2024 2️⃣. Flexibility remains a top motivator for job seekers, with 48% preferring hybrid roles and 26% seeking fully remote positions 3️⃣.

Independent and Flexible Work

• Freelance and Independent Work Growth: The independent workforce has surged, with 72.1 million Americans—about 45% of the labor force—engaged in part-time, full-time, or occasional independent work, marking an 89% increase since 2020. 4️⃣

• Flexible Work Participation: One in three Americans now engage in flexible work, up from one in six in 2022 (5). Nearly 70% of Gen Z workers are currently freelancing or plan to do so, motivated by financial stability, the ability to work from anywhere, and entrepreneurial aspirations 4️⃣.

Employer Perspectives and Business Impact

• Retention and Attraction: Flexible work arrangements have become a key strategy for attracting and retaining talent. 76% of workers say flexibility in when and where they work influences their desire to stay with an employer. 3️⃣

• Business Outcomes: Companies leveraging freelance and flexible talent report improved organizational agility, higher quality of work, increased innovation, and better financial results. 4️⃣

• Sector Leaders: Technology and Insurance continue to be the top two industries for flexibility in the US. 95% of US Tech firms offer location flexibility, along with 91% of US Insurance firms. 1️⃣

Challenges and Considerations

• Return-to-Office Mandates: While some companies are pushing for more in-office days, the prevalence of fully in-office roles has declined, and flexible arrangements are not decreasing despite headlines about return-to-office mandates. 3️⃣

• Productivity and Well-being: Over 90% of employees believe they are as productive or more productive in their current work model compared to previous years 6️⃣. Remote-only workers log significantly more productive minutes per day than their hybrid or office-based peers 2️⃣.

• Disconnected/Isolation: In our own Thrive Remotely survey on the biggest downside of remote/flexible work, people most often indicate isolation, loneliness and lack of contact. This is why Thrive Remotely was founded!

So what now?

We’re not here to chase headlines—we’re here to build momentum. The shift is real, and it’s not slowing down.

The data is on your side. The community is growing. And we’re just getting started.

If you want weekly insights, inspiration, and real talk from people shaping the future of work and life, subscribe to the Thrive Remotely newsletter: We’re not just building careers – We’re building lives that actually work.

REFERENCE

Go Deeper

1️⃣ Flex Report Q2 2025 - Hybrid & Remote Work by the numbers.

2️⃣ Remote & Hybrid Work Trends 2025: What the Data Really Says.

3️⃣ Robert Half: Remote Work Statistics and Trends for 2025

4️⃣ Workplace Intelligence Forecast for 2025

5️⃣ The 2025 State of the Flexible Workforce report: Key insights for businesses

6️⃣ Remote Work Statistics 2025: Trends and Factors