The Flex Index just released an insightful report on the state of location flexibility within the U.S. workforce, covering all things remote work and revealing which types of employers (including company size) are the most likely to have remote job openings available.
The findings revealed in the report are pulled from recent data, from Q4 (fourth quarter) 2024, and reveal the current state of the remote work environment. This information can help you make more informed decisions when looking for work in 2025, and enables you to narrow down which industries to avoid, so that you prevent yourself from wasting time looking for remote jobs where there is only a dwindling likelihood of you ever landing one due to looking in the wrong places.
Top 5 Industries For Remote Jobs In The U.S.
Based on data that the Flex Index analyzed for more than 13,000 employers (who collectively have a headcount of more than 120,000,000 worldwide), you can expect the following industries to have the most remote jobs:
- Technology (96% of companies within tech offer location flexibility)
- Insurance (92% of employers)
- Financial services (83% of employers)
- Professional services (83% of employers)
- Media and entertainment (82% of employers)
The top five industries and sectors that can be least expected to have location flexibility, are:
- Restaurant and food services
- Education
- Hospitality
- Transportation and automotive
- Real estate, facilities, and construction
This is fairly reasonable, due to a major in-person element of the work involved in each of these industries, necessitating a physical human presence. While of course there are back office and project management roles that can have remote or hybrid remote work options, overall it would be unrealistic to expect a copious supply of remote jobs within these industries, unless you were to pivot into consulting or freelance work, perhaps. Even then, your scope can be limited if choosing to work fully remotely.
Should You Look For Remote Jobs During The Holidays?
But wait a minute…why are you reading this now anyway? Isn’t this article wasting your time? After all, doesn’t hiring slow down during the Christmas holidays and festive season?
If you’ve ever been advised to pause your job search because there aren’t many jobs except seasonal roles being advertised within your field during the festive season, understand that this advice is a myth. While it may be true that some employers tend to wind down recruitment efforts during this time of the year, there are others who will be gearing up to fill vacancies for the new year and will take advantage of the opportunity to start advertising now.
Most importantly, the inactivity gives you a chance to shine as a candidate. While competition in the job market (especially for remote jobs) can be fierce throughout the year, the winter holidays are the perfect opportunity for you to continue applying for jobs, since others would be absorbed in traveling, enjoying the festive season, and assuming that there are no jobs available for them.
Although of course, this does not mean that you should sacrifice your mental health or your enjoyment during the winter holidays, remember to take advantage of the relative quiet so that your job applications actually get seen. Some people have been known to even receive a job interview the week prior to or the days leading up to Christmas. And it’s not uncommon to receive a job offer immediately in the new year.
So don’t lose hope. Use this list of five industries to help you refocus and make your search for remote jobs more targeted. Map out your job search strategy for this month and identify employers from within these industries who resonate with your core values and your ideal working environment. Get ready to step into your new remote job in 2025.