Remote Work and Employer Support by the Numbers

A year has passed since the global health crisis ground the American economy to a halt and disrupted our work lives, and a more clear picture is beginning to emerge of exactly how significant those disruptions are. According to Gallup, the nation’s unemployment rate is almost double what it was before the pandemic, with nearly 10 million Americans out of work. However, the nature of work for those who still have jobs has changed dramatically. 80 percent of employees say they are doing their jobs differently because of the health crisis, and about half of that group say their jobs are now harder because of those changes. Although the number has decreased somewhat, about 60 percent of employees say they are performing their jobs remotely at least some of the time. When asked how they felt supported by their employers during this period, results were varied. About 40 percent of said their employer communicated a clear plan of action and their managers kept them informed, and about the same number still feel their employer cares about their well-being. This number has decreased significantly as the pandemic has drug on.