Survey finds 75% would "definitely use" a work-from-anywhere policy if provided by their employer
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- According to FlexJobs®' 2024 Work-From-Anywhere Survey, half (50%) of respondents said they're willing to accept a pay cut to be able to work from anywhere. Specifically, 26% of people surveyed would accept a five percent pay cut, and 24% stated they would accept a salary decrease of either 10% or 15%.
FlexJobs developed the survey to better understand the high demand for work-from-anywhere roles and wide interest in digital nomadism within the current workforce. The survey was conducted between February 6-19, 2024, and polled over 4,000 U.S.-based professionals on how working from anywhere impacts their career decisions and perspectives on the job marketplace.
Workers Willing to Pay a Steep Price for Location Independence
In addition to the majority of respondents stating that they're willing to take a pay cut of five percent or more, 20% said they'd accept an increase in working hours in exchange for a remote job that allows them to work from anywhere. They were also willing to give up:
- Chances for professional development (23%)
- Vacation days (15%)
- Company-sponsored health insurance (13%)
- Retirement-focused company contributions (10%)
Among generations, millennials showed the highest willingness to exchange key job factors, such as salary, chances for professional development, and increased working hours, for a remote job without location restrictions. Less than one-third (31%) of millennials said they wouldn't give up anything for a work-from-anywhere job, compared to 41% of Gen X and half (50%) of boomers.
Answer Choices:
Accept a 5% pay cut
- Millennials - 35%
- Gen X - 25%
- Boomers - 18%
Nothing
- Millennials - 31%
- Gen X - 41%
- Boomers - 50%
Forego chances for professional development
- Millennials - 27%
- Gen X - 24%
- Boomers - 20%
Accept an increase in working hours
- Millennials - 26%
- Gen X - 19%
- Boomers - 16%
Accept a 10% pay cut
- Millennials - 22%
- Gen X - 16%
- Boomers - 8%
Accept a decrease in vacation days
- Millennials - 21%
- Gen X - 15%
- Boomers - 10%
Forego retirement-focused company contributions
- Millennials - 14%
- Gen X - 8%
- Boomers - 9%
Forego company-sponsored health insurance
- Millennials - 14%
- Gen X - 10%
- Boomers - 15%
Accept a 15% pay cut
- Millennials - 13%
- Gen X - 9%
- Boomers - 5%
Fully Remote Jobs Key Factor in Relocation
Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said they'd "definitely use" a work-from-anywhere policy if provided by their employer. Given the chance to work remotely full time and without any location requirements, the majority also said they'd consider relocating to a different city (40%) or state (41%). Although 39% said they would not relocate anywhere, 28% of respondents said they'd consider relocating to a different country entirely.
Additionally, 16% said they'd become a digital nomad if they had a work-from-anywhere job. But the majority of those interested in working from anywhere today prefer to perform their job from fewer locations––a shift away from [digital nomads of the past who traveled frequently and worked from various locations around the world.
In FlexJobs' Work-From-Anywhere Survey, 40% of respondents said they'd "rarely or never" change their remote work location if they were a digital nomad. The full breakdown:
- Rarely or never (40%)
- Quarterly (26%)
- Annually (21%)
- Monthly (9%)
- Weekly (3%)
Cost of living (80%) was the leading factor influencing respondents' decisions to relocate to their dream destination if they were able to work from anywhere. Other top reasons cited:
- Climate (66%)
- Region's or country's culture (53%)
- High internet speed (51%)
- Favorable taxation rates (51%)
- Nature (50%)
- Social life, attractions, entertainment possibilities (47%)
- Reputation of the people (40%)
- Region's or country's history (25%)
- Public school systems for my children (18%)
Workers Want to Work from Anywhere
Work-from-anywhere openings are coveted and highly competitive, because historically, they've accounted for a small segment of the overall remote job marketplace. However, with more employers embracing remote work arrangements over the past few years, there are companies providing a steady flow of work-from-anywhere opportunities.
"Return-to-office mandates are largely responsible for the growing divide between employers and their workforces," said Toni Frana, Lead Career Expert at FlexJobs. "But as we've seen on FlexJobs, many companies are adopting work-from-anywhere arrangements and creating more opportunities than ever before for workers to find a career that has the location flexibility they want."
Top Companies and Industries for Work-from-Anywhere Jobs
Given job seekers are facing greater restrictions around remote work and location flexibility, FlexJobs recently compiled a list of the Top 30 Companies for Work-From-Anywhere Jobs in 2024, which covers the leading employers, careers, and job titles hiring for roles without any geographic restrictions. FlexJobs' report notes that work-from-anywhere careers have expanded in key industries like Computer & IT, Marketing, Writing and Editing, Accounting and Finance, and Bilingual, among others.
For more information, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-work-from-anywhere-survey or contact Shanna Briggs at [email protected].
Demographic breakdown of the 4,240 respondents: Gender: women (73%), men (25%) prefer not to identify (2%); Generation: Gen Z (5%), millennial/Gen Y (26%), Gen X (43%), baby boomer (25%), silent generation (1%); Education: less than a high school degree (1%), high school degree or equivalent (21%), associate's degree (14%), bachelor's degree (38%), graduate degree (26%); Career level: entry-level (11%), experienced (53%), manager (19%), senior level manager (12%), executive (5%); 27 percent had children 18 or younger living at home with them.
*FlexJobs created the survey, which was promoted to general audiences and its subscribers/members primarily through social media and newsletters. FlexJobs used a multiple choice and multi-select question format via SurveyMonkey's online platform. The survey ran from February 6-19, 2024.
About FlexJobs
FlexJobs is the leading career service specializing in remote, hybrid, and flexible jobs, with over 135 million people having used its resources since 2007. FlexJobs provides the highest-quality database of vetted remote and flexible job listings, from entry-level to executive, startups to public companies, part-time to full-time. To support job seekers in all phases of their career journey, FlexJobs also offers extensive expert advice, webinars, and other resources. In parallel, FlexJobs works with leading companies to recruit quality remote talent and optimize their remote and flexible workplace. A trusted source for data, trends, and insight, FlexJobs has been cited extensively in top national outlets, including CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNBC, Forbes magazine, and many more. FlexJobs also has partner sites Remote.co and Job-Hunt.org to help round out its content and job search offerings. Follow FlexJobs on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Media Contact
Shanna Briggs, FlexJobs, 866-991-9222, [email protected], www.flexjobs.com
SOURCE FlexJobs
Share this article