Poll: Majority of Americans Want Option to Work Remotely

(Photo by Geoff Caddick/AFP via Getty Images)

By Peter Malbin | Tuesday, 24 May 2022 

The vast majority of Americans whose job can be done remotely say it’s important that their employers allow them to work remotely as they want.

Millennials are the group most likely to want a remote option. A huge number (84%) of millennials say remote work is important compared to 66% of Gen Z, 75% of Gen X, and 68% of boomers.

These are some of the findings of an annual Axios Harris 100 poll.

Americans want to keep at least some of the work flexibility they've come to enjoy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Axios notes. The Axios survey finds that over half (56%) of workers say they are likely to move to a hybrid or remote job for more work flexibility.

Those who are already working remotely or in a hybrid model are much more likely to say remote work is important to them.

A vast majority of remote workers (93%) and of hybrid workers (89%) say it's important compared to only 57% of those who are back in an office, according to the Axios survey.

Most Americans (83%) say the pandemic proved many jobs can be done just as effectively remotely as in person, Axios reports.

Even though executives think differently and still would like their employees back in the office, they have had to abandon rigid attendance rules, according to The New York Times.

With COVID-19 cases rising rapidly in nearly every U.S. state, office occupancy has remained fairly flat, just above 40%, since late March, according to The New York Times.

Companies looking to recruit may need to consider remote work benefits over pay, according to Axios.

More than 40% of workers say they are likely to switch to a more flexible job even if it means taking a pay cut, including more than half (57%) of millennials and roughly half (49%) of Gen Z.

The Axios Harris Poll 100 is an annual survey to gauge the reputations of the most visible brands in the country.

It is based on a survey of 33,096 Americans in a nationally representative sample conducted March 11-April 3, 2022.