Report: Number of teleworkers declined in 2010
Report on teleworking found the dip in 2010 was largely due to psychological factors and not technological barriers.
From smart phones to iPads, it seems like today’s technological advances are combining to allow even more people to telework. The federal government has gotten into the game, too, with the Telework Enhancement Act, signed last December.
But for the first time since 2003, when official telework tracking data began, the number of people working remotely at least one day per month decreased to 26.2 million in 2010, down from 33.7 million in 2008, according to the Telework 2011 WorldatWork study. Factors such as high unemployment, anxiety surrounding job security and an unawareness of telework options, all contributed to the dip, the report said.
In spite of the telework decline, the frequency of people who telework regularly is rising, the study said. It found that 84 percent of remote workers telecommuted at least one day per week or more. In 2008, that number was 72 percent. Daily teleworkers increased by five percent from 2008, to 45 percent in 2010.
Other findings included: today’s teleworkers are mostly 40-year-old, male, college graduates, home is still the most common location for telework, and working remotely is perceived as a “reward” by both employer and employee.
The report data was collected by The Dieringer Research Group as well as WorldatWork, a non-profit organization.