📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Is the 'Return to Office' Debate Over? Most Employees Want Flexibility, According to a New Survey. More than half of Americans are working in the office again. But not by choice.

By Entrepreneur Staff

entrepreneur daily
Susan Fisher Plotner/View Pictures/Universal Images Group | Getty Images
Empty office in Tribeca, New York City, United States. Architect: HOK International Ltd, 2015.

Gen Z and Baby Boomers have more in common than you think.

LinkedIn released its latest Workforce Confidence survey this week, and one thing is for sure: Americans don't want to work in the office every day.

The survey (conducted between Sept. 9 and Oct. 20, 2023) asked 8,960 U.S.-based professionals how they prefer to work (remote, hybrid, or in-office), and 58% said they prefer to work hybrid or remote. Only 39% of employees wanted to be in an office full-time.

The answers also varied greatly by generation. Millennials (ages 27 to 41) preferred to be fully remote the most (33%), followed by 29% of Gen X (ages 43 to 58) respondents.

Despite being labeled as "lazy" and "not wanting to work," 42% of employed Gen Z respondents (age 26 and under) overwhelmingly wanted to be back in the office. Baby Boomers (ages 59 to 77) agreed—50% responded that they want to be fully back in the office, the most of the age groups.

Only 19% of Gen Z workers said they prefer to work remotely—due to "FOMO" over things happening in the office without them and not getting enough interactions with more senior colleagues, per LinkedIn.

As of August 2023, over half (54%) of American employees surveyed work mostly onsite.

See the full report, here.

Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

For more than 30 years, Entrepreneur has set the course for success for millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners. We'll teach you the secrets of the winners and give you exactly what you need to lay the groundwork for success.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

These Coworkers-Turned-Friends Started a Side Hustle on Amazon — Now It's a 'Full Hustle' Earning Over $20 Million a Year: 'Jump in With Both Feet'

Achal Patel and Russell Gong met at a large consulting firm and "bonded over a shared vision to create a mission-led company."

Business News

These Are the 10 Most Profitable Cities for Airbnb Hosts, According to a New Report

Here's where Airbnb property owners and hosts are making the most money.

Side Hustle

How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Successful Business

A hobby, interest or charity project can turn into a money-making business if you know the right steps to take.

Productivity

Want to Be More Productive? Here's How Google Executives Structure Their Schedules

These five tactics from inside Google will help you focus and protect your time.

Starting a Business

This Couple Turned Their Startup Into a $150 Million Food Delivery Company. Here's What They Did Early On to Make It Happen.

Selling only online to your customers has many perks. But the founders of Little Spoon want you to know four things if you want to see accelerated growth.