The concept of remote work shifted significantly in the last decade, going from a perk usually reserved for freelancers and entrepreneurs to a widespread reality for millions of Americans. Clearly, the work-from-home (WFH) concept has reshaped the way businesses operate and leverage a global talent pool, as well as the way employees balance their professional and personal lives. And, while the WFH revolution has certainly been driven by advances in technology and shifting views of the workplace, there’s no denying that the global COVID-19 pandemic was the ultimate catalyst that turned remote work from an added benefit to a non-negotiable for many employers and employees alike. That said, how has work from home in Metro Phoenix changed over the last decade?

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In the latest CoworkingMag report, we leveraged the most recent Census Bureau data on the evolution of Work from Home (WFH) in 109 U.S. metro areas to determine which ones went through the most significant changes in the past 10 years. We also looked at the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) that currently host the highest shares of remote workers and the ones that are still seeing increases in the number of teleworkers even in the aftermath of the pandemic and the many return-to-office mandates.

Data highlights from 2014 to 2023:

  • The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area ranked 10th nationally for the current share of remote workers out of the total workforce;
  • Work from home in Metro Phoenix stands above the national rate of 13.8%, registering 19.4% teleworkers in 2023;
  • The metro area started in 2014 with a solid share of 6.1% and it peaked at 23.4% remote workers out of the total workforce in 2021;
  • Finally, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro area marked a 218% growth in remote workers from 2014 to 2023 – ranking 49th nationally;
  • Neighboring Tucson metro area takes the 42nd spot for the 13.9% share of teleworkers in 2023, recording a 209% growth from 2014 to 2023;
  • The total number of remote workers in the U.S. stood at over 22 million in 2023, having tripled throughout the last decade. Only a small fraction (4.5%) of workers held remote positions back in 2014, reaching 17.9% in 2021, while dropping to 13.8% in 2023.

Key Takeaways:

  • The total number of remote workers in the U.S. stood at more than 22 million in 2023 after tripling throughout the last decade.
  • Austin, TX, is currently the metro area with the highest share of remote workers at almost one-quarter of its total workforce.
  • The WFH movement with the most impressive growth trajectory in the last 10 years was seen in Omaha, NE: a 366% growth.
  • 20 of 109 U.S. metros continued their adoption of the remote work model even post-pandemic. The vast majority of them are mid-sized metros, led by Lancaster, PA.

Full data set and methodology here: https://coworkingmag.com/blog/evolution-of-wfh-americas-top-metros/