ToplineTopline Remote job openings are declining in nearly every state, according to ZipRecruiter data, as companies transition to in-person work. Federal agencies are particularly affected. Key Facts * Louisiana is one of the few states where remote job postings have increased (7.2%). * Massachusetts has seen the largest decline (35.02%). * Work-from-home practices remain stable in most industries except federal government positions. * Remote job postings are still higher than pre-pandemic levels (11.7%), but below their peak (13.66% in 2022). States with the Biggest Increases (or Smallest Decreases) in Remote Work Job Openings 1. Louisiana: 7.12% 2. Kentucky: 6.11% 3. Mississippi: 0.82% 4. North Dakota: 0.30% 5. South Carolina: -2.58% States with the Biggest Declines in Remote Job Postings 1. Massachusetts: -35.02% 2. Rhode Island: -32.71% 3. Nevada: -29.03% 4. DC: -29.53% 5. Nebraska: -27.04% Large Number * 8%: The percentage of fully remote job postings in the first quarter of 2024, down 3% from the previous quarter. Main Background * Work-from-home soared during the pandemic but has declined as companies return to in-person work. * The White House has called for increased in-person work in the federal government. * The decline in remote jobs is also linked to tech layoffs in states like California. Surprising Fact * The disappearance of remote jobs is partly due to mass tech layoffs in areas like California, as tech jobs are often remote or hybrid.
Topline
Nearly every state is seeing a drop in remote job postings in the wake of the pandemic, according to data from ZipRecruiter, as companies across the country transition from remote to in-person work. But some states and employers are being hit harder than others, particularly federal agencies.
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Key Facts
Louisiana was one of the few states where remote job postings grew, up 7.2% from January 2023 to June 2023 compared to January 2024 to June 2024, according to internal ZipRecruiter data on U.S. jobs.
Massachusetts saw the largest decline, at 35.02%.
According to ZipRecruiter, work-from-home practices are relatively stable across most industries, with the exception of federal government positions, which are facing bipartisan calls to get government workers back into the office.
According to ZipRecruiter, remote job postings are still higher than before the pandemic, but down from their COVID-era peak: About 11.7% of total U.S. job postings were remote from January 2024 through June 2024, roughly equal to 2023 levels but down from 13.66% in 2022, but still higher than 2021 (11.37%), 2020 (7.99%), and 2019 (4.25%) before the pandemic.
States with the Biggest Increases (or Smallest Decreases) in Remote Work Job Openings
- Louisiana: 7.12% from Jan-June 2023 to Jan-June 2024.
- Kentucky: 6.11%
- Mississippi: 0.82%
- North Dakota: 0.30%
- South Carolina: -2.58%
States with the biggest declines in remote job postings
- Massachusetts: -35.02%
- Rhode Island: -32.71%
- Nevada: -29.03%
- DC: -29.53%
- Nebraska: -27.04%
Large number
8%. That’s the number of fully remote job postings in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from management consulting firm Robert Half. It’s down 3% from the fourth quarter of 2023.
Main background
Working from home has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Gallup, U.S. workers worked from home an average of 2.4 days per month in 2019, growing to 5.8 days in 2020 and dropping to 3.8 days in 2023. Many large companies have returned to in-person work after the pandemic, requiring employees to spend at least some days in the office, including Apple, Amazon, Meta, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. Some companies have embraced remote work, however, such as Yelp, which announced it would close several locations. President Joe Biden has called for a return to in-person work for years, including at the federal government, the nation’s largest employer. He urged employees to return to the office during his State of the Union address in early 2022. In April 2023, the White House directed federal agencies to expand their in-person work. In August 2023, the White House told Cabinet members that returning to in-person work was “critical” to workplace culture and delivering results.
Surprising fact
One reason remote jobs are disappearing is because of the massive tech layoffs that have hit states like California and a longer delay in tech hiring. A large portion of tech jobs are remote: 85% of tech jobs post-pandemic were fully remote or hybrid, while 48% were fully remote, according to data from Morning Consult. One of the hardest-hit industries in California is tech, which has seen roughly 60,000 job cuts since the start of the year at companies like Tesla, Google, TikTok, and Microsoft. One reason remote jobs are disappearing is because of the massive tech layoffs that have hit states like California and a longer delay in tech hiring. A large portion of tech jobs are remote: 85% of tech jobs post-pandemic were fully remote or hybrid, while 48% were fully remote, according to data from Morning Consult. One of the hardest-hit industries in California is tech. Since the beginning of the year, around 60,000 jobs have disappeared at companies such as Tesla, Google, TikTok and Microsoft.
