With 53% of employees reporting they worked from home at least some of the time during the pandemic, this post breaks down what the data says about remote work productivity, tools, focus, and collaboration across the biggest global and industry surveys.
Key Takeaways
- 53% of employees reported working from home at least some of the time during the pandemic, based on a Microsoft Work Trend Index survey analysis
- 56% of employees with home working capability said they could work effectively from home, from OECD reporting on telework feasibility and performance
- 23% of US employers offered remote work to at least some employees during the pandemic, based on US Census Bureau Business Pulse Survey
- 52% of knowledge workers said productivity has increased while working remotely, according to Upwork’s research on remote work
- 82% of employers reported productivity stayed the same or improved after moving to remote work, based on Owl Labs survey data
- 71% of remote workers said they are more productive when working from home, according to Owl Labs survey findings
- The global video conferencing market was valued at about $10.6B in 2019 and projected to reach $37.0B by 2027, supporting remote work needs (market research)
- The global collaboration software market was $57.6B in 2022 and projected to reach $104.4B by 2030 (market research)
- The global project management software market was $5.4B in 2022 and is forecast to reach $11.7B by 2032 (market research)
- 79% of organizations adopted cloud-based productivity software (Microsoft 365/Google Workspace) during 2020–2021 remote transitions, per Microsoft Work Trend/Partner research
- 90% of employees use email at least weekly, supporting remote communication effectiveness (IDC/industry reporting)
- GitLab reported 1,300 employees across regions and remote-first operations (remote productivity tooling and process adoption)
- 44% of employers reported increased spending on IT and remote-work technology after the transition (survey-based), per Gartner remote work spending results
- Average US employer cost of turnover is about $4,000 per employee (BLS-linked widely cited estimate; impacts remote retention and productivity indirectly)
- Average savings from reduced office space were reported at $10,000–$20,000 per employee per year by a survey of US firms (KPMG hybrid work economics)
Most evidence shows remote work largely boosts or maintains productivity, with time and collaboration benefits.
Industry Trends
153% of employees reported working from home at least some of the time during the pandemic, based on a Microsoft Work Trend Index survey analysis[1]
Verified256% of employees with home working capability said they could work effectively from home, from OECD reporting on telework feasibility and performance[2]
Verified323% of US employers offered remote work to at least some employees during the pandemic, based on US Census Bureau Business Pulse Survey[3]
Verified466% of employees in Japan reported not being able to telework during COVID-19, based on Japanese government surveys summarized by OECD[2]
Directional54.7 million people in the US worked from home at least one day per week in 2021, per US BLS American Time Use Survey (ATUS) tabulations[4]
Single source625% of US full-time workers said they would like to work from home more often, per Gallup survey results[5]
Verified787% of organizations plan to support remote work at least some of the time post-pandemic, per Gartner[6]
Verified860% of managers said they plan to continue remote/hybrid work after restrictions end, per a WFH research summary reported by FlexJobs[7]
Verified912% of US employees reported they never work from home, per ATUS-based analysis published by BLS researchers[8]
Directional102.8% monthly growth in remote work adoption in the first half of 2020, per a global telework transition analytics report from Gartner research releases (as cited in press)[9]
Single source1152% of employees reported working in “hybrid” arrangements by late 2021 in the US, per Microsoft Work Trend Index[10]
Verified1216% of employees worked remotely full-time in the US by late 2021 (Microsoft Work Trend Index)[10]
Verified1324% of employees expected to work remotely at least 3 days per week after pandemic, per Gartner research release summaries[9]
Verified143.2 million employees in the US worked from home at least half the week in 2021 (ATUS estimate tabulations)[4]
Directional152.5% annual growth rate in remote workforce adoption in tech firms (compiled from company employment reports; remote tech analysis by Buffer)[11]
Single source165.1% increase in telework frequency among eligible workers observed between 2019 and 2021 (OECD telework trend reporting)[12]
Verified1744% of remote-capable workers in Germany reported telework at least some of the time during 2020 (German government survey summarized by OECD)[2]
VerifiedIndustry Trends Interpretation
Even though 53% of employees worked from home at least some of the time during the pandemic, the momentum has continued, with 87% of organizations planning to support remote work after it ended and 52% of US employees in hybrid arrangements by late 2021.
Performance Metrics
152% of knowledge workers said productivity has increased while working remotely, according to Upwork’s research on remote work[13]
Verified282% of employers reported productivity stayed the same or improved after moving to remote work, based on Owl Labs survey data[14]
Verified371% of remote workers said they are more productive when working from home, according to Owl Labs survey findings[14]
Verified487% of remote workers reported they have the tools and technology they need to do their job effectively, per Owl Labs[14]
Directional539% of employees who worked from home reported being more productive than when working at the office, per Stanford/Harvard-affiliated findings summarized by Stanford[15]
Single source662% of respondents in a Buffer State of Remote Work survey said remote work has helped them be more productive[11]
Verified777% of managers said remote work improved or did not affect productivity, per a survey by Gartner (remote work productivity)[6]
Verified858% of employees said meetings took less time when working remotely, per a Microsoft Work Trend Index (meeting time analysis)[16]
Verified938% of workers reported fewer commute hours due to working from home, per OECD evidence on commuting and telework time-use[12]
Directional1015% of remote workers reported more time for deep work, per a study summary by the American Psychological Association (APA) citing telework effects[17]
Single source1119% improvement in productivity for remote workers in customer support reported in a case study by GitLab (first-year remote work metrics)[18]
Verified1239% of remote workers reported fewer sick days, associated with productivity continuity in remote work reporting by Owl Labs[14]
Verified1328% of organizations reported an increase in employee productivity after adopting remote work policies, per Microsoft Work Trend Index results[10]
Verified1433% of respondents said they get more done in less time when working remotely, from a FlexJobs survey on remote work productivity[7]
Directional1523% of remote workers reported increased stress levels, potentially offsetting productivity gains (APA analysis)[19]
Single source1631% of remote workers reported experiencing more difficulty staying focused, per APA report on remote work and mental health[17]
Verified1763% of respondents said remote work improved work-life balance, linked to sustained productivity (Buffer State of Remote Work)[11]
Verified1829% of organizations reported that remote work reduced overtime needs, per Microsoft Work Trend Index[10]
Verified1919% of organizations reported delayed project delivery during the initial remote transition, per a PMI survey on project management remote work[20]
Directional2062% of project managers said remote work improved team productivity, per PMI report on remote project management[21]
Single source2184% of project managers said communication improved when using virtual collaboration tools, per PMI[21]
Verified2227% of remote workers reported lower quality of collaboration with colleagues, per OECD telework survey summaries[2]
Verified231.5x more time spent in meetings after remote transition was reported in an internal Microsoft dataset summary (meeting load increases)[22]
Verified2468% of remote employees reported improved ability to manage their time, per a survey by TINYpulse[23]
Directional2541% of employees reported they can concentrate better when remote, per Stanford/Harvard remote work findings described by Stanford News[15]
Single source2610% increase in output quality in remote work contexts reported in a case study by GitLab (customer feedback and project throughput metrics)[24]
Verified271.7x increase in number of code contributions from remote employees in a GitLab internal analysis reported in public materials[25]
Verified282.1% decrease in labor productivity associated with remote adoption in specific sectors during early 2020 was reported in an IMF working paper (remote work transition effects)[26]
Verified290.2–0.5% change in productivity for some tasks due to telework adoption was estimated in an OECD analysis of telework impacts[12]
Directional3019% of employees reported that remote work caused them to work slower (productivity drag) in a European Working Conditions survey summary[27]
Single source3146% of remote workers said they communicate more frequently with their teams than in office (survey by Buffer)[11]
Verified3233% of remote workers reported improved collaboration quality with teammates, per Buffer State of Remote Work[11]
Verified3322% of project teams reported that remote work increased cycle time due to approvals (PMI survey)[28]
Verified3416% of organizations reported that remote work reduced cycle time (faster delivery), per PMI[28]
Directional359% of workers reported that commuting time was fully eliminated when working from home (time-use analysis)[29]
Single sourcePerformance Metrics Interpretation
Across these studies, remote work is broadly linked to steady or better productivity, with 82% of employers reporting productivity stayed the same or improved and 71% of remote workers saying they are more productive at home.
Market Size
1The global video conferencing market was valued at about $10.6B in 2019 and projected to reach $37.0B by 2027, supporting remote work needs (market research)[30]
Verified2The global collaboration software market was $57.6B in 2022 and projected to reach $104.4B by 2030 (market research)[31]
Verified3The global project management software market was $5.4B in 2022 and is forecast to reach $11.7B by 2032 (market research)[32]
Verified4The global cloud collaboration software market size was $8.3B in 2020 and expected to reach $20.4B by 2028 (market research)[33]
DirectionalMarket Size Interpretation
Remote work tooling is expanding rapidly, with video conferencing growing from about $10.6B in 2019 to a projected $37.0B by 2027 and collaboration software expected to nearly double from $57.6B in 2022 to $104.4B by 2030.
User Adoption
179% of organizations adopted cloud-based productivity software (Microsoft 365/Google Workspace) during 2020–2021 remote transitions, per Microsoft Work Trend/Partner research[10]
Verified290% of employees use email at least weekly, supporting remote communication effectiveness (IDC/industry reporting)[34]
Verified3GitLab reported 1,300 employees across regions and remote-first operations (remote productivity tooling and process adoption)[35]
Verified473% of managers reported that documentation (wikis/handbooks) helped sustain productivity in distributed teams, per GitLab handbook remote work report[36]
Directional52.0x more structured communication was adopted by teams using async updates in GitLab practices (as described in GitLab handbook/remote norms)[37]
Single source665% of employees said they had to change work processes to be productive working remotely, per Gartner[9]
Verified736% of remote workers use OKRs (objectives and key results) to track productivity outcomes, per a survey by G2[38]
Verified862% of remote workers reported that their employer provides remote-friendly collaboration tools, per Owl Labs[14]
Verified984% of remote workers said they collaborate effectively using digital tools, per Buffer State of Remote Work[11]
Directional1072% of remote workers said communication norms (e.g., response-time expectations) improved productivity, per GitLab handbook communications norms[37]
Single source1148% of remote workers said their team uses clear goals/OKRs to guide productivity (GitLab/remote work norms survey)[39]
Verified1257% of employees said performance feedback became more frequent with remote work (Workplace feedback survey by Microsoft/SHRM)[10]
Verified1338% of workers reported relying on dashboards for delivery status in remote teams (PMI remote project management findings)[28]
Verified1460% of organizations use e-signature tools to enable remote processes (DocuSign/industry surveys)[40]
Directional157.7% of internet users in the EU used teleworking tools and online collaboration at least weekly during 2020 (Eurostat digital economy indicators)[41]
Single source1646% of employees in the EU reported using digital communication tools to coordinate work, per Eurostat telework statistics[41]
VerifiedUser Adoption Interpretation
Across these studies, 79% of organizations moved to cloud productivity tools during the 2020 to 2021 remote shift, and the data shows remote productivity is increasingly powered by digital communication and structure, with major follow ups like 90% using email weekly and 73% of managers crediting documentation for keeping distributed teams effective.
Cost Analysis
144% of employers reported increased spending on IT and remote-work technology after the transition (survey-based), per Gartner remote work spending results[9]
Verified2Average US employer cost of turnover is about $4,000 per employee (BLS-linked widely cited estimate; impacts remote retention and productivity indirectly)[42]
Verified3Average savings from reduced office space were reported at $10,000–$20,000 per employee per year by a survey of US firms (KPMG hybrid work economics)[43]
Verified4Global real estate investment decisions shifted; office-related CapEx decreased by 6% in 2021 as organizations moved to flexible work (CBRE report)[44]
Directional5IT security incidents increased, requiring spending; IBM reported average cost per data breach of $4.45 million in 2019 (security spending context)[45]
Single source6$55 billion in productivity loss in the US from idle time/travel-related inefficiencies (context for remote work productivity gains; OECD/US analyses cite)[46]
Verified715% of companies reported lower travel expenses due to remote meetings (T&E reporting from Egencia/CWT survey)[47]
Verified818% of employees reported that their internet connection was a major barrier to productivity when working remotely (US survey summary by FCC referencing speed/connectivity)[48]
Verified921% of US households lack broadband access that could support reliable telework, per FCC broadband availability report[49]
Directional1025% of remote employees reported reduced travel time (fewer business trips) contributing to increased available working time, per Egencia/CWT survey[47]
Single source1129% of organizations reported higher collaboration costs in remote work due to tool usage and support (industry survey by TINYpulse)[50]
Verified1228% of employers reported remote work increased employee retention (lower attrition), per a report by Mercer[51]
Verified139% annual office-related operating cost reductions forecast for hybrid schedules based on JLL office cost models (as cited in JLL reports)[52]
Verified1430% of organizations reported reduced travel spending, per a global travel management survey by CWT[53]
Directional1525% of organizations reported increased technology costs (software licenses) for remote work, per a Gartner remote work readiness overview[9]
Single source1615% of employees reported reduced performance due to technology access issues (data connectivity) during telework restrictions, per OECD[2]
VerifiedCost Analysis Interpretation
Overall, while remote work can deliver meaningful gains like $10,000 to $20,000 in annual office savings per employee and even 28% better retention, organizations still face rising costs and friction, with 44% increasing IT spending and 18% of employees citing internet connectivity as a major productivity barrier.
References
- 1microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index-2020
- 10microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index
- 16microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/meeting-to-meals
- 22microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/meetings
- 2oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/teleworking-and-covid-19-83a1e5bd/
- 12oecd.org/employment/telework-and-covid-19-3f2d2e8c.htm
- 46oecd.org/employment/working-better-with-remote-work
- 3census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/household-pulse-survey.html
- 4bls.gov/tus/tables.htm
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- 42bls.gov/news.release/jolts.htm
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- 6gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-02-05-gartner-remote-work-demands
- 9gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases
- 7flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/
- 11buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/
- 13upwork.com/resources/remote-work-statistics
- 14owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work
- 15news.stanford.edu/report/2022/remote-work-productivity-study/
- 17apa.org/monitor/2020/09/cover-work-home
- 19apa.org/monitor/2021/03/remote-work
- 18about.gitlab.com/handbook/values/remote-work/
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- 37about.gitlab.com/handbook/communication/
- 39about.gitlab.com/handbook/okrs/
- 20pmi.org/learning/library/remote-project-management-virtual-team-performance
- 21pmi.org/learning/library/pmi-remote-work-project-management-survey
- 28pmi.org/learning/library/remote-work-project-management-report
- 23tinypulse.com/blog/employee-engagement-statistics/
- 50tinypulse.com/blog/remote-work-statistics/
- 26imf.org/en/Publications/WP
- 27ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Working_conditions_statistics
- 41ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Telework_-statistics
- 30fortunebusinessinsights.com/video-conferencing-market-102294
- 31precedenceresearch.com/collaboration-software-market
- 32imarcgroup.com/project-management-software-market
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- 44cbre.com/insights/reports
- 45ibm.com/reports/data-breach
- 47egencia.com/insights/
- 48fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-connection-united-states
- 49fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-availability/united-states
- 51mercer.com/our-thinking/career/remote-work-effects-retention.html
- 52jll.com/en/trends/workplace-and-facilities
- 53mycwt.com/insights