When the COVID-19 pandemic quickly escalated in March 2020, numerous individuals were instructed to remain indoors, which resulted in an increase in telecommuting.

The EU body Eurofound, which gathered information from more than 250,000 entries,

people

Through seven online surveys on working conditions prior to and during the pandemic, it was discovered that COVID-19 led to an abrupt shift towards remote work which remains prevalent today.

Oscar Vargas Llave, a Eurofound researcher, informed LIFEHACKNext 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.

According to a 2022 report by Eurofound, remote work wouldn’t have expanded so significantly by 2027 if the pandemic hadn’t occurred.

With the masks now removed and social distancing becoming part of history, what effects has the COVID-19 pandemic left on our working habits, and how might these evolve over the coming half-decade?

We have reached a flat stage.

Vargas Llame mentioned that the count of staff members employed in either full-time remote work or a hybrid setup has stabilised post-pandemic.

According to Eurostat’s 2023 Labour Force Survey, 22.2% of European Union adults typically or occasionally work remotely, which is a decrease from slightly more than 24% in 2021.

Vargas Llome mentioned that this stabilization of remote and hybrid workers contradicts the expectation of a significant decline in remote work following the pandemic’s conclusion.

“We find ourselves at a standstill,” Vargas Llave stated. “The option of remote work hasn’t become firmly established in European offices.”

However, he noted that the proportion of employees who were completely remote had consistently remained low, with this situation being extraordinary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Depending on their job type, employees may be able to continue working from home even after the pandemic, according to Vargas Llave.

For instance, roles in information technology (IT), finance, and education have a higher likelihood of being performed remotely, as stated in the 2022 Eurofound report. In contrast, sectors such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality typically require on-site work.

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 towards complete remote work.

In the end, Dlomu stated that it’s upon each manager to determine with their staff how frequently they should be working on-site or remotely.

Vargas Llame and Dlomu indicate that KPMG’s model mirrors practices seen at other firms since many hybrid or fully remote work arrangements typically result from agreements between employees and managers.

‘Discrepancy’ between employee expectations and company offerings

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 roughly five percent of listings in this area, which has dropped since reaching an apex of eleven percent in 2021.

Tamara Basic Vasiljev, who leads economics at LinkedIn for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, stated that pre-COVID-19, only 1 percent of available positions listed on their platform were fully remote jobs.

Vasiljev mentioned that firms promoted work-from-home options from 2021 through 2023 since they acknowledged “flexibility as a means to draw in talent.”

Now they are cutting back on those posts to emphasize “face-to-face cooperation, 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 “discrepancy” between employee preferences and available options.

Vasiljev noted in an email to LIFEHACKNext that this discrepancy between supply and demand indicates professionals continue to value flexibility despite employers shifting towards hybrid models.

Vasiljev went on to say that the largest discrepancy is seen in the Netherlands, with demand for these positions being sixfold compared to what’s listed on LinkedIn.

She attributes this distinction to professionals in this nation who aim to “minimize travel time, manage caregiving duties, or operate across international locations.”

Certain markets such as Germany defy the general pattern. According to Vasiljev, job hunters in the country would have observed a 25 percent rise in available hybrid positions year over year. This is due to Germany’s tight labor market, which implies that offering flexibility remains an effective method for attracting skilled individuals.

Remote-first jobs aren’t evenly distributed across the EU.

Vargas Llleve mentioned that the number of remote workers 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 on 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 EU, fall within this same percentage range as well.

The new EU member states of Bulgaria and Romania report the lowest percentage of part-time remote workers, with 2% and 3%, respectively.

“Fewer positions in Bulgaria and Romania involve extensive use of digital tools; however, this is also linked to the workplace culture,” Vargas Llave stated.

The ability to work anytime and anywhere this kind of flexibility isn’t cultivated.

Vargas Llave finds it unsurprising that there has been greater acceptance of remote work after the pandemic, considering that The Netherlands and Nordic nations already had high levels of telecommuting prior to it.

The future is hybrid

Vargas Llave mentioned that many employees and organizations favor a hybrid work arrangement since this setup allows them to interact socially with their coworkers and collaborate effectively whenever necessary.

The Eurofound’s 2024 quality of life report indicates that 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 working from home multiple days each week.

Dlomu mentioned that there are still several areas of concern for businesses, such as how to sustain a positive corporate culture when employees are not physically present together.

Nevertheless, she thinks that the current hybrid work model will persist until 2030.

It seemed like Hybrid started off being somewhat disconcerting for many individuals who were still finding their footing… However, I believe this perception has shifted,” Dlomu stated. “Now it’s grown more sophisticated.

By 2030, Vargas Llave predicts that only a slight growth will occur in remote workforces, as many new job opportunities will emerge within the realm of digital workplaces.

Vargas Llave stated that there would never be “a scenario where we work solely from home” again, emphasizing that this was an exceptional case during the pandemic period.

Vargas Lllosa anticipates that the gap 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 the manner in which individuals interact with one another.

She stated, ‘Each of us lost someone, each fell sick… thus, it was an arduous period for every one of us as humans.’

However, concurrently, what surfaced was an enhancement in our communication methods through technological means.