FX.co ★ Top 12 countries with largest number of remote workers

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies switched to work-from-home mode.

For some companies, remote work is an advantage because it helps them to stand out among competitors and become more attractive as an employer.

The United States became pioneers in this area back in the 1970s. At that time, some firms offered their full-time workers part-time or full-time remote employment. Thanks to a broadband Internet connection and cloud technology, remote employment is conquering the world.

Luxembourg

More than 600,000 people live in Luxembourg, one of Europe’s richest countries with the highest quality of life. Thanks to favorable conditions and an offshore zone, there are about 1,000 investment funds and more than 200 banks in the country’s capital. In addition, many EU organizations are located in the city.

According to the study, 53.4% of the country’s workers can carry out the instructions of their employers from home.

Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the world’s most developed countries with a population of more than 8.5 million people. Interestingly, 44.9% of Swiss workers perform job duties remotely.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of Swiss firms with above 250 employees moved a part of their staff members to remote work. At the same time, companies with less than 50 employees made the switch to remote working for 24% of their staff.

Sweden

Sweden has a diversified competitive economy. The country’s population exceeds 10 million people. Currently, some 44.2% of employees in the country work from home.

Despite such a high rate, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Swedish government decided not to impose restrictions on the population. Moreover, the country’s authorities did not close down companies and insist on widespread remote working for people.

Norway

Norway is the largest producer of oil and gas in Northern Europe. Apart from that, sectors such as engineering, fish processing, and the chemical industry are also developed in the country.

Around 41.7% of people out of 5.3 million Norway’s residents can fulfil their duties from home. The switch to remote working has become one of the most effective measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus infection in the country and ensuring the safety of all workers.

Iceland

There is a widespread belief that the main occupation of Iceland’s population is fishing. However, the country’s main economic sectors, such as hydropower, factory building, banking, IT, and biotechnology have been developing since the beginning of the 19th century.

Among these industries, banking, IT, and biotechnology have the largest number of remote employees. They include both local residents (around 357,000 people) and foreigners. According to the analysts, they account for 41.6% of the total number of employees.

United States

Among distinctive features of the United States are the predominance of services and knowledge economy. In addition, the US has the second largest manufacturing sector in the world.

According to the study, some 41.6% of American citizens out of a 333.8 million population work from home. The rampant coronavirus spread increased the number of remote workers, but left even more unemployed.

Netherlands

The Netherlands has a highly developed post-industrial economy. The country’s leading economic industries include petrochemical, engineering, and electronics.

More than 17 million people live in the Netherlands with 41.5% of workers able to perform their job functions from home. The Netherlands, like many other countries, is likely to face a new post-pandemic reality where certain restrictions and work trends will be maintained.

Denmark

Highly qualified specialists, especially in the IT industry, are in demand in Denmark.

Denmark is considered to be a highly developed industrial-agrarian country with a population of 5.8 million people. Around 41.4% of Danish workers can work remotely.

However, the novel coronavirus has had an adverse impact on this prosperous country leaving many of its citizens unemployed. Thanks to screening of the overall population at the national level, the situation has improved slightly.

Ireland

In Ireland, there are headquarters of many large international companies which attract foreign investors in sectors such as IT, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and healthcare.

Some 38.7% out of nearly 5 million Irish citizens can fulfil their job obligations from home. Apart from that, remote workers can receive a tax deduction or compensation for utility bills such as electricity, heating, and even telecommunication expenses.

Germany

Germany has a population of more than 83 million people. During the corona crisis, the number of employees in local firms and companies that switched to remote working increased to 25% from 18%, while the total number of jobs operating from home was 36.7%.

In the autumn of 2020, the Bundestag will discuss the law that would allow employees to choose freely whether they want to work in the office or from home. In both cases, workers will be required to do their job according to the company’s requirements.

Austria

A strong economy of this European country with a population of 9 million people allows 36.7% of Austrians to work at home.

At the time of the financial crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Austrian workers have the opportunity not only to live in a stable European country, but also to receive decent salaries. Thus, in Austria, every employee is entitled to a social package. In case of unemployment, even migrants can count on a benefit.

UAE

The UAE economy is closely linked to oil and gas production. In addition, many representative offices of large international companies are established in the country. Around 90% of executive managers in these firms are immigrants from developed Western countries.

Almost 10 million people live in the UAE. The country is recognized as the center of global trade and tourism. Around 28.9% of workers in the country can carry out their job duties from home.

The lion’s share of the workforce in the UAE consists of foreigners. In the UAE, unlike their homeland, these people are able to find a well-paid job. Meanwhile, some local residents occupy highly-paid positions in the public sector as well as live on income from investments or on subsidies from the state.