Metro Areas with the Highest Decline in Remote Job Postings
by Brett Bayduss, on Jun 12, 2023 9:30:00 AM
Across the globe, there was a significant increase in remote workers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although remote work is still demanded by many employees and offered by numerous employers, current statistics indicate a decline in remote work within some of the larger U.S. metros. The proportion of unique national job postings for remote jobs decreased to 5.26% in April from 6.83% in November 2022. To help you understand the expectation of the labor force, Site Selection Group analyzed the job posting data to find the latest trends in remote workers.
Methodology for identifying the metro areas where remote job postings declined the most
Site Selection Group evaluated metro areas with a population of 500,000 or more to identify the metro areas where remote job postings declined the most between November 2022 and April 2023. The job postings are unique postings for remote-only positions and do not include postings that may offer hybrid (onsite and remote). The postings are represented as a proportion of the total of all job postings in the month.
The metro areas were geographically diverse
The results of the analysis were geographically dispersed across the U.S. indicating that the movement toward less remote work is not tied to any one region but is a national change. Of the 30 metro areas with the greatest decline in remote job postings, 11 metros are in the Western U.S., six are in the Southeast, five are in the Midwest and Northeast, respectively, and three are within the Southwest. The decline in remote job postings is a recent change, and employers should continue to pay attention to this trend in future months.
Top 30 Large Metro Areas with the Greatest Decrease in Remote Job Postings
Metro Area |
% Remote Job Postings
|
% Remote Job Postings
|
Remote Job Postings Absolute Change |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 12.30% | 6.71% | -5.59% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 10.40% | 5.76% | -4.63% |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 8.83% | 4.28% | -4.54% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 9.31% | 5.34% | -3.97% |
| Wichita, KS | 5.95% | 2.87% | -3.08% |
| Bakersfield, CA | 5.66% | 2.67% | -2.99% |
| Springfield, MA | 5.22% | 2.53% | -2.69% |
| Madison, WI | 8.89% | 6.38% | -2.51% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 9.59% | 7.14% | -2.45% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7.94% | 5.53% | -2.41% |
| Lancaster, PA | 4.08% | 1.72% | -2.36% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 7.63% | 5.51% | -2.12% |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 5.95% | 3.92% | -2.03% |
| Stockton, CA | 4.16% | 2.13% | -2.03% |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | 4.60% | 2.65% | -1.95% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 6.58% | 4.66% | -1.92% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8.17% | 6.27% | -1.90% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 8.69% | 6.81% | -1.88% |
| Modesto, CA | 4.30% | 2.43% | -1.87% |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 4.80% | 2.94% | -1.85% |
| Boise City, ID | 12.73% | 10.91% | -1.82% |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 4.91% | 3.11% | -1.80% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 8.37% | 6.62% | -1.75% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 6.31% | 4.56% | -1.75% |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 7.84% | 6.12% | -1.72% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 7.31% | 5.59% | -1.72% |
| Fresno, CA | 5.50% | 3.82% | -1.68% |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 7.40% | 5.73% | -1.67% |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 6.65% | 4.99% | -1.66% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 6.33% | 4.68% | -1.64% |
Conclusions
Remote work is here to stay, but based on current trends, it may not be as dominant as it has been since 2020 as employers re-evaluate their remote work policies. Remote work will vary by industry sector and by job skillset in addition to varying by respective geographic areas. Employers should make a point to understand local labor market conditions as they may impact the hiring expectations of employees as well as longer-term office space needs. Site Selection Group will continue to monitor job posting data across all metro areas to better understand long-term market trends.
