Remote working statistics Australia

The latest data surrounding remote work in Australia
 
Andrew Fennell photo Andrew Fennell | May 2024

The number of people working remotely in recent years has exploded, not only in Australia, but across the world.

To help you get your head around the scale and impact of remote work in Australia, we’ve collected all the important data and statistics on the topic from across the web… and popped them all right here for you.

Get stuck in…

 

Key remote working statistics

  • 4 in 10 Australians (37%) worked from home at least once per week in 2023
  • Pre-pandemic (March 2020) only 13% of employees worked from home
  • 45% of Australian workers are working in a “hybrid” working arrangement
  • More than half of all hybrid workers are educated to at least bachelor’s degree level
  • 75% of remote workers felt that their wellbeing had improved due to flexible working
  • The average Australian would take up to an 8% pay cut in exchange for remote work options
  • Australian remote workers save 2 hours per week in commute-time and AU$906 in expenses
  • 97% of organisations in Australia are offering some form of flexible remote working in 2024
  • 62% of employers believe that offering remote work improves their ability to attract and retain staff
  • Google searches for the term “remote jobs” have increased by 342% over the last 5 years

 

 

How many people work remotely in Australia in 2024?

According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 4 in 10 Australians (37%) worked from home at least once a week throughout 2023.

 

Number of people who work from home Australia

 

How many people worked from home during Covid?

ABS figures show that the percentage of people working from home peaked at 40% in 2021, largely due to Covid restrictions stopping workers from attending the office.

 

How many people worked from home pre-Covid?

  • The AIHW reported that pre-pandemic (March 2020) only 13% of full-time workers worked from home most of the time.
  • Between 1989 – 2008 around 25% of people worked from home, but only 6% were working most of their hours from home (ABS).
  • According to PWC research, Pre-pandemic 48% of workers spent every working day in the office – in 2024 only 4% of people work full-time from the office.
  • In 1970 only 1 in 10 people worked from home some of the time, and nobody worked from home full-time, according to ABS records.

 

Hybrid working statistics in Australia

According to McCrindle 45% of Aussie workers are working in a “hybrid” working arrangement – meaning that they split their working hours between the office and remote locations.

They also uncovered the following data on hybrid workers:

  • Gen Y are the most likely generation to work remotely with over two in five Gen Y working in a hybrid role.
  • More than half of all hybrid workers are educated to at least bachelor’s degree level.
  • Two thirds of hybrid workers are located in capital cities.
  • 52% of hybrid workers have families (one or more dependent)

According to PWC 96% of Australian knowledge-based workers are either working hybrid or fully-remote.

 

Hybrid working statistics

 

Who is working remotely in Australia?

  • Managers and professionals are the most likely people to work remotely, with 60% of them doing so regularly in 2023, compared to the workforce average of 22%.
  • Millennials are twice as likely to have a fully remote job than any other demographic.
  • New South Wales is the state you are most likely to find remote work with 38% of its workers currently working remotely at least some of the time.

 

How much do remote workers earn?

In Australia the average remote worker earns an annual salary of $87,750, which is slightly below the national average across all jobs.

 

How do Australians feel about remote work?

With many Australians now working remotely, how do we really feel about it?

  • A recent McCrindle survey showed that 78% of Australian employees favour a hybrid working model.
  • According to research from PWC, the average Australian professional wants to work from home at least 3.2 days per week.
  • 40% of Australian workers feel they perform better when working away from the office.
  • A Productivity Commission survey found that 3 quarters of remote workers felt that their wellbeing had improved, compared to working in the office full-time.
  • Science Direct recently reported that the average Australian would be willing to decrease their salary by up to 8% in exchange for remote work options.

 

How do Australians benefit from remote work?

A PWC survey found that in addition to reducing commute time, these were the 5 top benefits Australians see from working remotely.

BenefitPercentage of workers who value the benefit
Saving money on travel63%
Better work-life balance51%
More time for family and friends47%
More time for exercise38%
Reduced stress and burnout37%

 

How much time and money do remote workers save?

A study by University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) found that the average Australian commuter saves 2 hours per week and AU$906 in expenses by working from home full-time.

 

Disadvantages of working remotely

Despite all the benefits of working remotely, a Productivity Commission report found that 42% of remote workers regularly experience loneliness and isolation, 31% feel more stressed and burnt out, and 28% have felt the need to access mental health and wellbeing support.

 

 

How many companies are offering remote jobs?

  • ABC news recently reported that 11% of jobs being advertised on Seek.com were available on a fully remote basis in April 2023 (an all-time high). This has since dropped to 9.4% at the end of 2023.
  • The Reinventing Work Report, published by Adaptavist found that one in two Australian employers offer hybrid working arrangements.
  • Data from the Australian HR institute shows that 97% of organisations are offering some form of flexible remote working in 2024.

 

Demand for remote jobs

Since December 2019 the amount of Google searches carried out for the term “remote jobs” has increased by 342%.

 

Increase in searches for remote jobs

 

How does remote working benefit employers?

Remote working seems to have wide-ranging benefits for staff, but what are the key benefits for employer organisations?

  • According to the Australian HR institute, 62% of employers believe that offering remote work improves their ability to attract and retain staff.
  • 43% of employers say that remote working improves organizational productivity.

 

Effects of remote work on productivity

According to a survey from The Melbourne Institute Applied Economic and Social Research, employees reported the following effects on productivity after working from home regularly.

Effects on productivityPercentage of respondents
Improved productivity24%
No change in productivity33%
Decreased productivity42%

 

Do employers want staff to return to the office?

The pandemic forced employers to provide remote working options for staff, but now that lockdowns and restrictions are behind us, some employers are keen to get workers back into the office.

  • A recent KPMG survey of 1,300 global CEOs found that 64% believe that everybody will be back to working from the office by 2026 –  And 87% of CEOs said they were more likely to give “favourable assignments, raises, or promotions” to employees who came into the office, than to those who worked remotely.
  • Data from Virgin Media’s Movers Index states that 40% of employers now require staff to work from the office 5 days per week, and 92% enforce some kind of mandatory in-office policy.
  • A survey from Gigabit Networks found that 83% of business leaders want staff to return to the office full-time.

 

Sources

The stats and data from this article have all been pulled from reputable websites throughout Australia and the rest of the world. Check them out below.