Prime Distant Working Statistics and Traits in 2025 – Forbes Advisor UK

Best UK cities for remote workers 2025

The best city for remote workers in the UK is Dunfermline, Scotland – closely followed by Chester in England. The list below shows the top 10 cities for remote workers in the UK (Dojo):

1. Dunfermline
2. Chester
3. Aberdeen
4. Newcastle-upon-Tyne
5. York
6. Dundee
7. Perth
8. Milton Keynes
9. Belfast
10. Lisburn

Remote work Forbes Advisor survey

A recent Forbes Advisor poll showed that, of 1,100 respondents, 63% worked remotely either all or some of the time.

UK remote and hybrid work ONS overview

• In 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic, just 4.7% of UK employees worked from home (WISERD)
• By April 2020, 46.6% of employees did at least part of their job from home (ONS)
• 86% of those did so specifically because of the pandemic (ONS)
• In 2022, a quarter (25%) of UK employees worked from home at least some of the time (ONS)
• 13% were working from home all of the time in 2022 (ONS)
• More than one quarter of working adults (28%) were hybrid working in the Autumn of 2024 (ONS).

Worldwide, 91% of workers have a “positive” view of remote working (Buffer)

Fully remote vs office vs hybrid working in the UK

• Between 6 November and 1 December 2024 (lastest government data), working arrangements among UK workers were as follows (ONS):
  • Only worked from home: 13% (no change from the previous month)
  • Travelled to work and worked from home (hybrid): 27% (down from 28% in the previous month)

• Distribution of days worked from home over a week (ONS):
  • Monday: 58%
  • Tuesday: 67%
  • Wednesday: 64%
  • Thursday: 63%
  • Friday: 65%
  • Saturday: 6%
  • Sunday: 7%

Employee and employer attitudes towards working from home (ONS)

• In May 2022, remote and hybrid workers reported the following advantages to home working:

In May 2022, remote and hybrid workers reported the following disadvantages to home working:

• In 2021, businesses gave the following reasons for why they planned to further implement home working as permanent business model (ONS):
  • Improved staff wellbeing: 79.9%
  • Reduced overheads: 49.1%
  • Increased productivity: 48.3%
  • Ability to recruit from a wider pool: 34.7%
  • Reduced sickness levels: 27.3%
  • Ability to better match jobs with skills: 17.4%
  • Not sure: 5.2%

Characteristics of remote workers (ONS)

• Remote work arrangements broken down by employee age:

• Remote work arrangement broken down by employee education level:
  • Degree or equivalent:
    • Home or hybrid working: 67%
    • Commuting only: 33%
  • Below degree level:
    • Home or hybrid working: 32%
    • Commuting only: 68%
  • Other qualification:
    • Home or hybrid working: 31%
    • Commuting only: 69%

• Remote work arrangements broken down by employee annual salary band:
  • Up to £10,000:
    • Home or hybrid working: 14%
    • Commuting only: 86%
  • £10,000 – £15,000
    • Home or hybrid working: 24%
    • Commuting only: 76%
  • £15,000 – £20,000
    • Home or hybrid working: 29%
    • Commuting only: 71%
  • £20,000 – £30,000
    • Home or hybrid working: 36%
    • Commuting only: 64%
  • £30,000 – £40,000
    • Home or hybrid working: 49%
    • Commuting only: 51%
  • £40,000 – £50,000
    • Home or hybrid working: 60%
    • Commuting only: 40%
  • £50,000 or more:
    • Home or hybrid working: 80%
    • Commuting only: 20%

Remote working since the first UK Covid lockdown:

Out-of-hours work habits for remote workers

• Out-of-hours work completed by employees based on working arrangement:
  • Replying to work messages or emails
    • Office-based: 47%
    • Hybrid: 49%
    • Fully remote: 48%
  • Completing administrative work:
    • Office-based: 33%
    • Hybrid: 30%
    • Fully remote: 37%
  • Made work related phone calls:
    • Office-based: 19%
    • Hybrid: 27%
    • Fully remote: 27%
  • Taken work device on holiday
    • Office-based: 25%
    • Hybrid: 22%
    • Fully remote: 24%
  • Continued to work as normal:
    • Office-based: 17%
    • Hybrid: 17%
    • Fully remote: 23%

• Reasons why remote and hybrid workers complete work-related tasks out of hours:
  • I feel a responsibility to reply when a colleague messages me:
    • Hybrid: 26%
    • Fully remote: 22%
  • I have certain responsibilities that need to be carried out by me:
    • Hybrid: 16%
    • Fully remote: 13%
  • An urgent request came through:
    • Hybrid: 27%
    • Fully remote: 23%
  • I have time-sensitive deadlines to meet:
    • Hybrid: 19%
    • Fully remote: 31%
  • I get stressed if I miss things while being off work:
    • Hybrid: 21%
    • Fully remote: 14%

Top tasks carried out better in person vs remote (Currys)

The rise of the digital nomad

According to a report by MBO Partners the number of American digital nomads has risen from just over 7 million in 2019 to around 17 million in 2023. While other estimates predict the total number worldwide could reach 60 million by 2030 (Wyse Travel Confederation).

Digital nomads combine working remotely (usually for the same company based in their home nation, or freelance work) with travel. This can range from those on round-the-world trips to people who choose to relocate to another country or countries for a fixed period of time, working to fund their travels.

• British workers make up an estimated 8% of the global digital nomad community (elvtr)
• An estimated 165,000 Brits are digital nomads (Public First)
• 45% of UK workers would consider a career change to become a digital nomad (Startups)
• 76% of parents believe working remotely abroad would give their family a better lifestyle (AllWork)
• 58% of U.S digital nomads are under the age of 44, with 21% being Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and 37% being Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) (MBO Partners)
• Digital nomads (from a U.S study) have higher satisfaction levels with their work with 80% being highly satisfied, compared to 59% of other workers (MBO Partners).

Methodology

Consumer attitudes towards small businesses data was collected by Opinium on behalf of Forbes Advisor from a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults between 3 and 7 November 2023.