More workers will be in the office in 2025, but the trend will lean toward hybrid work models.
Employers are making a push to return people to their workplaces despite technological advances making working from home easier and a workforce that prefers flexibility.
Over the last five years many of us have become accustomed to working remotely through digital workspaces like Microsoft Teams, Slack or Zoom.
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Coming into the new year, most Americans want to work from home – at least part of the time. A Pew Research Center poll found most current hybrid workers (72%) want it to stay that way. Sixty-two percent of workers who never or rarely work from home said they would if they could part of the time.
As companies signal a shift to returning to the office, nearly half of workers (46%) say they would quit their job if their employer required them to be in the office full time. But there are plenty of signs that remote work isn't going away anytime soon.
Upwork estimates 22% of the American workforce will work remotely in 2025 — higher than pre-pandemic levels. Remote job platform Flexjobs saw a 20% increase in remote job postings, most at intermediate or experienced levels.
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The desire for flexibility runs counter to predictions from CEOs, with 83% saying they expect a full return to office, according to a poll from KPMG.
Some see the benefit of returning to the office, particularly the struggling metropolitan areas across the country. But experts are clear on one thing for work in 2025: flexibility will be key for retaining employees.
Flexibility in where people work, but also how they work. The MIT Sloan Management Review points out the rise in generative AI in workplaces, saying while hybrid work and AI may seem like different topics, it all comes down to flexibility in the changing workspace.