Turn on any TV, open any web browser or smartphone, and you're like to see news and reports about millions of people working from home. Chances are you're reading this while working from home. If you're not, please, get up, shut your laptop, put on a mask and go home, unless you're an essential worker. 

"WFH" has become so commonplace that many are wondering when, or if, remote work will persist beyond the end of the global Coronavirus pandemic.

Will corporations be more willing to hire remote workers even after offices open again? Will highly skilled workers normally forced to live in expensive cities like San Francisco and New York be able to head to more affordable locales while still pulling in those Silicon Valley salaries? The answer, at least according to new data and correlations we've done across 6,625 companies' HR and recruitment websites, is a resounding — and disappointing (to some) — "No."

In fact, the number of job listings with the term "remote" in their titles is down as of late. And, as a percentage of overall job listings, the number of "Remote" listings has not changed. 

As recently as late February 2020, job listings with the term "Remote" in their titles appeared to have hit a momentary apex, with around 17,700 such listings. But since then, those listings have taken a dive, down to just over 10,000 as of last week.

This isn't just a function of declining job listings overall, either. In fact, the number of "Remote" job listings mirrors that of overall listings in a sign that the demand for — and willingness to hire — remote workers hasn't changed as of yet. In fact, as you can see above, the listing trends for both "Remote" and overall job listings are virtually the same.

As of last week, just 0.18% of all job listings we track contained the word "Remote" in their titles. In early 2019, that percentage was 0.19%. 

As of last week, just 0.18% of all job listings we track contained the word "Remote" in their titles. In early 2019, that percentage was 0.19%. 

In short, nothing has changed.

Companies are vastly different, though, and some are more likely to be open to hiring remote workers. Technology companies including Apple ($AAPL), Microsoft ($MSFT), and Google have all shown that they are more than capable of operating at full capacity via a remote workforce. But even Microsoft, as we've found, has cut back on hiring significantly in a sign that it prefers in-office workers to remote.

Other industries, such as manufacturing, have shown that things are vastly different for them. Tesla, for instance, is in the process of suing the state of California to get its workers back into factories so it can fire up its production lines once again.

As far as companies that are hiring the most people with the terms "Remote" in their titles, cloud-computing company Veeva Systems ($VEEV) leads the pack, followed by DISH ($DISH) and remote workforce collaboration company — and Slack alternative — Mattermost ($PRIVATE:MATTERMOST).

All of this doesn't mean that remote or even freelance opportunities are down overall. This study looks only at official job listings pages from major companies. Gig jobs, like those found at Upwork, have actually seen a bit of an upswing as of late.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Also see:

Ad placeholder