When the coronavirus outbreak escalated quickly in March 2020, numerous people received orders to remain indoors, which led to an increase in telecommuting.
The European Union agency Eurofound gathered information from more than 250,000 sources. people Through seven online surveys on working conditions conducted both prior to and during the pandemic, it was discovered that COVID-19 led to an accelerated shift towards remote work which remains prevalent today.
Oscar Vargas Llave, a Eurofound researcher, informed Euronews Next that during the height of the pandemic, 23 percent of the European Union’s workforce was engaged in remote work, an increase from only 14 percent in 2019.
In a 2022 report Eurofound stated that without the pandemic, remote work would not have increased significantly until 2027.
With the masks removed and social distancing becoming a thing of the past, what effects has the COVID-19 pandemic left on our working habits, and how might this shape the next half-decade ahead?
'We find ourselves at a standstill.'
Vargas Lllosa mentioned that the count of staff members engaged in either full-time remote work or a hybrid setup has stabilized post-pandemic.
According to Eurostat's 2023 Labour Force Survey, 22.2% of European Union adults typically or occasionally work remotely, which represents a decline from slightly more than 24% in 2021.
The stabilization of remote and hybrid workers contradicts the assumption that there would be a significant decline in remote work following the end of the pandemic, according to Vargas Llame.
We find ourselves at a standstill," Vargas Llave stated. "The option of remote work has not yet been firmly established in European offices.
He noted, though, that the proportion of employees who were completely remote had consistently remained low, emphasizing that this situation was extraordinary due to COVID-19.
Vargas Llave stated that whether employees can continue working remotely post-pandemic hinges on the nature of their jobs.
For instance, roles in information technology (IT), finance, and education are more prone to remote work, as indicated by the 2022 Eurofound report. report , where agriculture, construction, and hospitality activities take place on-site.
Nhlamu Dlomu, who leads the global human resources department at consultancy company KPMG, mentioned that customer-oriented positions within her organization frequently necessitate face-to-face interactions and thus are less inclined to operate entirely remotely.
In the end, Dlomu stated that it is upon each manager to determine with their staff how frequently they should be working onsite versus remotely.
Vargas Llave and Dlomu indicate that KPMG’s approach mirrors practices at other firms since many hybrid or fully remote work arrangements typically result from agreements between employees and managers.
Wider “Return to Office” mandates are probably found in bigger corporations, according to Vargas Llave, as these work environments tend to have stricter regulations.
An 'alignment issue' between employee expectations and company goals
According to LinkedIn data for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, nearly forty percent of job postings on the platform are now hybrid roles. In contrast, completely remote positions account for approximately five percent of listings in this area, a decrease from their highest point at eleven percent in 2021.
Tamara Basic Vasiljev, who leads economics at LinkedIn for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, stated that only 1 percent of available job listings on the platform were fully remote prior to the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
Vasiljev mentioned that firms promoted work-from-home positions from 2021 through 2023 since they acknowledged "flexibility as a means to lure talented individuals."
Now, they are cutting back on those postings to prioritize "face-to-face collaboration, productivity, and company culture," she explained.
In 2025, remote job listings attracted three times more interest than hybrid or full-time office roles, as Vasiljev pointed out, indicating a "disconnect" between employee preferences and available options.
Vasiljev noted in an email to Euronews Next that this discrepancy between supply and demand indicates professionals continue to value flexibility, even as companies shift towards hybrid models.
Vasiljev further explained that the largest disparity exists in the Netherlands, with demand being six times greater for these positions compared to what is listed on LinkedIn.
She attributes this distinction to professionals in this nation who aim to "minimize commute duration, harmonize childcare duties, or operate across international markets."
Certain markets such as Germany defy the general pattern. According to Vasiljev, job hunters in Germany would have observed a 25 percent rise year over year in available hybrid positions. This phenomenon can be attributed to the nation’s tight labor market, where adaptability remains an effective strategy for attracting skilled individuals.
Remote-first jobs vary across the European Union.
Vargas Llleve mentioned that the amount of people working remotely differs significantly across the European Union.
Statistics from the Eurostat Labour Force Survey indicates that the largest number of remote workers is in the Netherlands, with 52 percent of employees logging in for some telecommuting hours in 2023.
The data revealed that Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Luxembourg have between 40% and 45% of their workforce engaging in remote work for at least some portion of their jobs. Norway and Iceland, though not members of the European Union, also fall within this same percentage range.
Bulgaria and Romania, new additions to the EU, report the lowest percentages of part-time employees who work remotely, with figures standing at 2% and 3%, respectively.
"There are less job opportunities in Bulgaria and Romania that widely utilize digital tools; however, this is also linked to the cultural approach towards work," Vargas Llave stated.
The ability to work from any location at any time remains undeveloped.
Countries like The Netherlands and those in Scandinavia already had significant levels of remote work prior to the pandemic, making their increased uptake after it not particularly astonishing for Vargas Llave.
The future is hybrid
Vargas Llave mentioned that many employees and businesses favor a hybrid work arrangement since this setup allows them to interact socially with their coworkers and collaborate effectively whenever necessary.
Eurofound's 2024 quality of life report found The wish to solely work remotely has increased from 13 percent in 2020 to 24 percent in 2024. Additionally, more than half of both men and women prefer to work from home multiple days each week.
Dlomu noted that corporations still face certain pressures, such as figuring out how to sustain a positive company culture when employees are not physically present together.
Nevertheless, she thinks that the current model of hybrid work will continue to prevail until at least 2030.
It seemed that at first, Hybrid made some people uneasy as they tried to get into the groove... I believe this has shifted," Dlomu stated. "Now it's more sophisticated.
Vargas Llava anticipates that by 2030, there will be "only a slight rise" in remote workforces due to the growing number of positions tied to an ever-more-digital workspace.
Vargas Llave stated that "the scenario of exclusively remote work will never return," adding that this was merely an exceptional measure taken during the pandemic period.
Vargas Llosa forecasts that the differences among nations will persist, even with EU efforts promoting adaptable workplace practices.
For Dlomu, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lies in how it altered human communication.
"We each lost loved ones and we all fell sick... so it was a difficult period for all of us as humans," she stated.
“However, concurrently, what surfaced was that we have enhanced our communication methods through technological means.”
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