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News » Digital nomads surge to 18.1 million in U.S. workforce

Digital nomads surge to 18.1 million in U.S. workforce

Photo from Time Doctor

VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES — The landscape of work in the United States is rapidly changing as digital nomadism turns into a mainstream phenomenon.

A report from MBO Partners indicates that 11% of the U.S. workforce—18.1 million workers—are now digital nomads, up 4.7% from last year and 147% since 2019.

The study was conducted in June 2024, involving 6,575 residents of the U.S., including 1,178 current digital nomads.

“Today, leading organizations know they must attract top talent to survive, including allowing workers to operate when and where they want,” said Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners. 

The rise and risks of digital nomadism

Digital nomads are employees traveling while working remotely. This has shifted from being a niche lifestyle to part of the normal workforce, hurried along by both the pandemic and shifting attitudes toward remote work.

Corporate policies and regulations have not caught up with that rapid growth, however, and employers might be opening themselves up to a number of potential risks.

The research shows one-third of people working remotely in traditional employment—36%—are doing so without formal employer consent, thereby exposing companies to regulatory, tax, compliance, and cybersecurity threats.

Another worrying statistic shows that 14% of digital nomads with traditional jobs said their employers do not know about their nomadic lifestyle.

Other issues digital nomads are experiencing include:

  • financial stress – 27%
  • being away from family and friends – 26% 
  • personal safety – 24% 
  • time zone differences – 23% 
  • travel burnout – 21%

Demographic insights and benefits of digital nomadism

The majority of the digital nomads are young, 64% of the population is either a generation Z or millennial

On the other hand, the gender imbalance is slightly tilted towards the male gender, with 55% while females comprise 40%. The racial composition is mostly white, at 67%, while 21% are Black, 11% Hispanic, and 6% Asian.

Digital nomads report higher levels of job satisfaction, 79% saying they are highly satisfied compared to the 64% of all workers.

Different levels of income also vary, with 46% earning $75,000 or more annually.

Primary occupations for digital nomads include IT 19%, creative services 14%, education and training 9%, sales, marketing and PR 9%, finance and accounting 8% and consulting, coaching and research 7%.

The future of digital nomads

The trend is not slowing down, with 21 million workers wanting to be digital nomads and 45 million considering it. 

As this trend continues to evolve, it will be essential for companies and regulators to adapt and create policies that support this new way of working while addressing potential challenges.

“Implementing formal policies to track and engage with remote and nomadic workers should be considered standard practice. In this case, policies aren’t restrictive, they help attract the most in-demand workers while reducing potential legal, regulatory, and IT risks,” Everson added.

“At the same time today’s social contract is outdated and needs to be changed to reflect the reality of workers’ rights and to properly align work arrangements to reduce the regulatory burden on corporate America.”

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