Remote work here to stay, Nick Bloom says
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Stanford economist Nick Bloom has a clear message for anyone worried by headlines about the “death of remote work”: the data tells a different story.
Speaking at the Running Remote 2025 conference, Bloom dismantled persistent myths, pointing out that remote work has stabilized at 25% of workdays in the U.S. and hasn’t declined in two years.
“Work from home peaked at over 60% of working days during the pandemic,” Bloom said. “Today, it’s stabilized at around 25%—and that figure hasn’t budged in two years.”
He cited surveys, building access records, and cell phone tracking data, all showing that remote workdays have plateaued, not disappeared.
The disconnect, Bloom argued, is fueled by media incentives. “Headlines like ‘The End of Remote Work’ get clicks. Stories that say ‘It’s Still the Same’ don’t,” he noted.
Hybrid work: Profitable and popular
Bloom also presented compelling evidence that hybrid work is not just popular, but also profitable. He highlighted a large-scale A/B test at Trip.com, where employees were randomly assigned to either full-time office work or a hybrid schedule.
After two years, there was no difference in performance between the groups, but hybrid workers had 35% lower quit rates and the company saved an estimated $20 million annually through reduced turnover and office space.
“This is not just about employee happiness,” Bloom emphasized. “It’s a bottom-line issue. Hybrid work is highly profitable.”
Coordination is key to hybrid success
Despite these benefits, Bloom warned that many organizations still struggle with hybrid work because of poor coordination.
“People want to come into the office to collaborate and socialize,” he explained. “If you’re forcing people in on random days when their team isn’t there, what’s the point?”
He contrasted the International Monetary Fund’s clear, structured office days with the World Bank’s loosely enforced policy, noting that structure makes all the difference.
Remote work’s global future
Global data shows English-speaking countries lead in remote work adoption, with Asia lagging behind—a trend Bloom called a “policy failure.” He argued that encouraging remote work in dense, expensive cities could boost productivity and quality of life.
Looking to the future, Bloom is confident: “Technology will only get better… Remote work levels are going to rise again.”
For companies still resisting hybrid models, the evidence says remote work is a permanent fixture of the modern workforce.
