Overview

• Recent data by Hays indicate a shift toward full-time office work with 43% of office workers going in five days a week, outnumbering the 39% who are adopting a hybrid work pattern. This marks a reversal from last year when hybrid work was favored by 43% of employees, compared to only 36% fully on-site.
• Despite employers' push for a return to the office, surveys by Hays and FlexJobs reveal a strong employee preference for flexible work arrangements. About 63% of FlexJobs' survey respondents cite remote work as the most important part of their job, prioritizing it over salary, work-life balance, and a good boss.
• Nearly two-thirds of workers say they would accept a pay cut to continue working remotely, according to a FlexJobs survey, reflecting the value placed on flexibility despite enduring cost-of-living crises. Additionally, 46% of respondents express preference for a hybrid work arrangement over full-time remote or office-based work.
• Job market trends reflect the growing difficulty of finding remote jobs, with survey respondents reporting fewer remote-first positions available on job sites. Data from Indeed also reveals a decrease in remote or hybrid job vacancies, falling from 16% at the start of the year to 14%.
• Although more workers are now in full-time office roles, the demand for hybrid work remains high during job searches, with nearly half of Hays' survey respondents prioritizing this work arrangement. Further, about 45% express interest in a four-day workweek without a pay cut, revealing a significant gap between employee preference and current employer offerings.