In a comprehensive summary of recent studies and statistics, FlexJobs, the tech company that connects job seekers with remote work opportunities, has laid out the hard numbers regarding remote work trends in our culture today. Everything from productivity, employee morale, reduced stress, to talent retention have been impacted by the rise of remote work.

Archinect recently spoke with Diana Nicklaus, founder and principal at Saam Architecture, a practice that offers employees radical flexibility through remote work, unlimited vacation, and unrestrained mobility. However many believe this model cannot work in architecture. In response to that, Diana said:

"I would challenge that assumption for many reasons. So many other team-based professions have incorporated remote models successfully, and there are great lessons to be learned from those. Our own profession requires that we leave the office for many reasons, be it construction administration tasks, client/consultant meetings, colocation, travel for remote clients...most of us manage to stay in touch with our offices and are equipped with the technology to do so."

But don't take her word for it. Here are some key takeaways from FlexJob's summary on the recent statistics surrounding remote work (links to surveys and research have been included):

• In the span of one year, from 2016 to 2017, remote work grew 7.9%. Over the last five years it grew 44% and over the previous 10 years it grew 91%.
• In 2015, 3.9 million U.S. workers were working remotely. Today that number is at 4.7 million, or 3.4% of the population.
• Remote work is more common in cities with high income levels and is tied to more white-collar jobs.
• 80% of U.S. workers say they would turn down a job that didn’t offer flexible working, and it’s so important to them that more than a third say they would prioritize such arrangements over having a more prestigious role.
• 85% of businesses confirm that productivity has increased in their company because of greater flexibility.
• 90% of employers say allowing for more flexible work arrangements and schedules would increase employee morale
• Amerisleep’s study of 1,001 remote workers found that they are 57% more likely than the average American to be satisfied with their job. And, 80% of respondents described their typical stress level during the workweek as either “not stressed” or only “moderately stressed.”
• FlexJobs’ annual survey found that 65% of respondents are more productive in their home office than at a traditional workplace.
• 47% of employees say they strongly agree that flexible work arrangements “would or do allow me to be more productive” and 31% said they somewhat agree.
• 50% of remote employees said working from home reduced their sick days and 56% said it reduced their absences.

Of course, remote work isn't always easy or perfectly suited for every company. Archinect will be taking a look at some of the challenges posed by remote working in upcoming editorial features.