Even as pandemic restrictions are lifted and more people return to work, flexible and remote jobs are more popular than ever.

According to new CareerBuilder research, remote jobs attract 7x the number of applicants as on-site positions. Tax Manager, Spanish tutor, and therapist were among the most popular positions across industries and experience levels.

“People are not going to return to work the way they have in the past”. Kristin Kelley, chief marketing officer at CareerBuilder, said. “Flexibility is the new norm and expectation from employees — we’re going to see this trend continue in the months ahead.” 

People do not want to return to work full-time.

As coronavirus cases continue to fall in the US. Several companies, including American Express, and Twitter, have announced revised March return-to-work dates.

Nonetheless, most Americans who work from home would do so again if given the option. According to a January Pew Research survey of 5,889 workers, 61% of those working remotely said they don’t go into their office because they have better work-life balance and productivity from home.

Some people would rather quit than have to commute anytime soon. According to a recent Morning Consult poll of 400 workers, nearly half of the respondents would consider leaving their jobs if their boss asked them to come to work.

So it’s no surprise that we’re seeing an increase in remote and flexible job applications.

“After two years of working from home, employers want to put Covid-19 behind them,” Kelley says. “But that doesn’t mean employees want to go back to working in an office full-time again.”

Jobs that are more adaptable can lead to better career opportunities.

Workers in service industries who are quitting their jobs in search of higher wages and more flexible schedules are also driving the continued demand for remote and hybrid jobs.

According to the ADP National Employment Report, the service sector lost the most jobs (274,000) in January. This was led by the leisure and hospitality industry, which cut 154,000 positions. Hiring increased slightly last month (leisure and hospitality added 179,000 new jobs). However, employment in this sector remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.

“People working in retail, hotels or restaurants are realizing that their skills — customer service, communication, time management — transfer across different industries and are more in-demand than ever in this tight labor market,” Kelley says. 

Source: cnbc.com