In a recent ranking of the cheapest U.S. cities for remote workers to live in, Texas didn’t mess around. Half of the top 10 spots belong to the Lone Star State.
Although the number of people working remotely, or “homework,” has been steadily increasing in the country over the last several decades, the COVID-19 pandemic gave this number a considerable boost. A March 2023 study published by PubMed Central shows that the share of U.S. employees working from home jumped from 7.3% in 2020 to 17.9% in 2021.
Even though the greatest threat from the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, the remote work trend remains strong . This year, the Pew Research Center reports roughly 14% of all working adults in the U.S. work from home. And a study by Upwork predicts that number will rise to 22% by 2025.
In some cases, working from home has even proven to be more efficient. Another Upwork study found one-third of hiring managers felt productivity had increased — a larger share than those who reported a decrease in productivity.