In December of last year 78% of workers reported that according to their employer remote work will continue indefinitely.

Workers have shifted their preferences in favor of hybrid working arrangements since the height of the COVID pandemic, a new survey by Apartment List has found. The survey, conducted between April and December 2021, recorded the responses from approximately 5,000 employed workers, showing that popularity for remote work declined throughout last year - albeit marginally. The survey observed a shift from working only-at-home to working mostly-at home. More than half of remote workers – 56% - were exclusively at home in April compared to 47% in December.  In addition, 51% of workers reported working from home at least half the time, but, by December, the share had dropped to 44%. Telework, or remote working, was initially intended as a temporary stopgap measure to curb the spread of the pandemic, although it became an established workplace norm between 2020 and 2021. According to Apartment List, the remote work revolution has been “a transformational force for the housing market.” It said that although employment was back to near pre-pandemic levels, office attendance was not, noting that housing markets had experienced rapid changes in availability and affordability as workers settled into new homes that suited their new working arrangements.  However, it is not yet clear how the workplace will look in the future now that restrictions have been lifted, with companies still trying to decide the long-term implications of working from home.  Workers were asked if their employer had signaled that their jobs would continue to be remote or transition back to the office post-pandemic. In April, 77% said that according to their employer, remote work would continue indefinitely. Significantly, that figure not only remained stable but increased slightly in December, with 78% stating the work arrangements were the same.

Source: National Mortgage Professional