New data points to gradual increase in return to workplace – is this the end of Europe's teleworking experiment?

A new episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast series looks at data from the Living and working in the EU e-survey showing a decline in the number of respondents engaged in remote work, with the percentage of people working entirely from the workplace increasing from 36% in 2023, to 41% in 2024.

Over 40 million people teleworked across the EU in 2021, double the number of 2019, as COVID-19 restrictions and changes in work culture significantly impacted work organisation. For many workers, the transition to telework was an overnight change but – due to efficiency gains in many areas and the flexibility that telework provides – the return to the office, until recently, has been a slow one.

However, new data from Eurofound indicate that, while the return to the workplace is gradual, it is gaining momentum. Large companies are demanding full scale return to the office for all workers and in many cases, it seems, this is against the wishes of workers. Companies cite the basis for the return is the need for greater cooperation, productivity and innovation whereas workers claim greater autonomy and better work-life balance is to be found at home.

Eurofound data also indicate that men now have slightly more access to remote work possibilities than women and, for the first time, the Living and working in the EU e-survey recorded more women than men working entirely at the workplace.

Across the EU, significant national differences in teleworking exist, with countries like Cyprus and Greece showing lower remote work rates, whereas remote work is most common in the Netherlands and Ireland. Secondary analyses of Eurofound data indicate that, in the case of Ireland, despite a comparatively high remote work rate, 350,000 jobs are being done at the workplace which could be done remotely.

Listen to the episode for free on our dedicated page, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Also make sure to subscribe to Eurofound Talks so you don’t miss an episode.

Feedback on the series and media requests can be sent to james.higgins@eurofound.europa.eu.