The week ending December 4, jobless claims reached a low that hasn’t been seen in the U.S. since September 1969.

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Virtual Vocations’ December 2021 Remote Jobs Report is an analysis of the state of hiring in the U.S., including the nationwide availability of remote jobs. We take a look at the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from November 2021, to determine December’s best-of lists for remote work industries, states, and companies filling work-at-home, virtual, and telecommuting jobs.

Virtual Vocations Remote Hiring Summary

During November, the Virtual Vocations team and our Employer Partners added more than 39,000 remote job openings to our job board. Virtual Vocations’ CEO and co-founder Laura Spawn

“While U.S. unemployment numbers have not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, jobs numbers have improved significantly since the emergence of the COVID-19. Meanwhile, the availability of remote jobs has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Comparing November 2019 to November 2021, the availability of remote job postings in the Virtual Vocations database grew by 37.42%.”

As we reported last month, looking ahead to 2022, Virtual Vocations will continue our quality over quantity commitment to screening remote jobs. This quality assurance plan includes the following:

• Reducing the number of staffing agency job postings to only those from our valued and vetted Employer Partner staffing agencies.
  
• Posting only 100% remote jobs across all categories except healthcare and education. (High-quality healthcare and education remote job postings that require business travel are still permitted on our job board.)

BLS Jobs Report Analysis for November 2021

“Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 210,000 in November, and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 4.2 percent,” according to the BLS. The number of employed persons who worked from home specifically due to the the COVID-19 pandemic edged down slightly to 11.3%.

November’s most notable job gains for the month occurred in these categories; click each category hyperlink to view remote job options in those career fields:

• Business services (+90,000)
• Transportation and warehousing (+50,000)
• Construction (+31,000)
• Manufacturing (+31,000)

The biggest job story for the month arose from a sharp dip in jobless claims for the week ending December 4. Jobless claims dipped 43,000 to just 184,000. This is the lowest level of jobless claims in the U.S. since September 1969.

Remote Work Report Spotlight

Dropbox created a data-driven report to examine how permanent remote work arrangements are the most beneficial employment models for many businesses. One of the most profound conclusions Dropbox uncovered was that remote workers report to be happier and heathier than they would otherwise be while working on-site. And managers are noticing the difference.

“Two-thirds of managers believe workers are showing an improvement in morale since the switch to distributed teams.”

The Dropbox report found that in addition to improved morale, remote workers freed up more time in their schedules by not commuting. Among employees surveyed about how they chose to spend this additional time, health and wellness focused activities were some of the most popular.

Getting More Sleep

Exercising More Often

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

At any time, the Virtual Vocations job board is filled with more than 30,000 job postings across 33 remote job industries, which range from administrative and graphic design to human services and writing. This top 10 list names the best industries for remote work during November. From October to November, the only change from the list came with sales overtaking marketing as the third-best category for remote work. For green remote workers interested in taking on a home-based job for the first time, this list of the best industries with the most remote job openings is a great place to begin a job search.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Management
9. Project Management
10. Product Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

November saw at least 4.5 times as many nationwide remote jobs available during the month compared to location-specific remote job postings for any individual state. It’s true that the majority of remote job postings found in the Virtual Vocations database are open to all U.S. applicants, but some remote job openings may be location-specific. Factors that influence the location classification of remote jobs include business travel requirements, company policies, and state tax or employment laws. Virtual Vocations makes easy work of location-based job searches. Our members use Job Search Filters to narrow their search results by criteria like time zone, region, state, or nationwide.

The following 10 states represented the top locations for November remote job openings. From October to November, there was one change among the list of top 10 states: Washington replaced Arizona as the 10th best state for remote work. If you’re looking for a remote job in Washington, the top cities for remote hiring are Spokane and Vancouver.

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. Illinois
7. North Carolina
8. Massachusetts
9. Pennsylvania
10. Washington

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

In the last two years, more businesses adopted remote work polices than ever before. As evidence, 90% of the companies featured in this month’s top 10 for remote hiring are members of Virtual Vocations’ list of 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list in parentheses next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations profile of that employer. The Virtual Vocations Remote Companies Database, which houses these remote business profiles, is a free resource for remote jobseekers. It is a digital storehouse of more than 20,000 profiles of companies known for hiring qualified employees and contractors for work from home jobs.

This month, two new companies joined the ranks of the best for remote jobs: Valera Health, a a mental health services company that uses technology to bring effective treatments to its patients, and Service Now, a company offering business solutions for information technology, security, human resources, and customer service organizations. During November alone, these 10 companies were responsible for more than 3,300 new remote job openings posted to our remote jobs database.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Progressive Corporation
4. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
5. Humana Inc. (21)
6. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
7. Square, Inc. (93)
8. Valera Health
9. ServiceNow (40)
10. Stride, Inc. (3)

Remote hiring reached a new peak in October as jobs numbers rebounded nationwide after disappointing payroll data emerged in September.

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The Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Report for November 2021 analyzes the state of hiring in the U.S., including the nationwide availability of remote jobs. We take a look at the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from October 2021, to determine November’s best-of lists for remote work industries, states, and companies filling work from home, telework, and home-based jobs.

Virtual Vocations Remote Hiring Summary

Throughout October, the Virtual Vocations team and our Employer Partners added more than 42,000 remote job openings to our job board. October marked 16 consecutive months in which at least 40,000 remote job openings were uploaded to the Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Database. With another two months left before the end of the year, the Virtual Vocations team has already exceeded 2020’s yearly job posting totals. Laura Spawn, CEO and co-founder of Virtual Vocations, offered additional statistics about the growth of remote job opportunities in the last year, saying,

“In just 10 months, more than 520,000 new remote job openings were screened and posted to the Virtual Vocations database. Compared to the number of remote jobs shared to the Virtual Vocations database from January to October 2020, we’ve seen a 23.83% increase in remote jobs during the same 10-month period in 2021.”

For the rest of 2021 and beyond, Virtual Vocations has made a quality over quantity commitment to our remote job posting screening processes. In addition to reducing the number of staffing agency job postings to only those from our valued and vetted Employer Partner staffing agencies, we have also moved to posting only 100% remote jobs across all categories except for jobs in healthcare and education. High-quality healthcare and education remote job postings that require business travel are still permitted on our job board.

BLS Jobs Report Analysis for October 2021

“Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 531,000 in October, and the unemployment rate edged down by 0.2 percentage point to 4.6 percent,” according to the BLS. The number of employed persons who worked from home specifically due to the the COVID-19 pandemic fell to 11.6%—down from 13.2% in September—as weeks of declining COVID-19 cases and continued immunization efforts have inspired some employers to return to their traditional, customer-facing business models; however, across the board, remote hiring shows no signs of decline.

The average monthly job growth so far in 2020 is 582,000 nonfarm positions per month. Since the U.S. all-time unemployment record in April 2020, the U.S. economy has added 18.2 million jobs, but another 4.2 million jobs need to be created in order for the U.S. to return to its pre-pandemic unemployment level.

“Job growth was widespread in October,” according to BLS data, “with notable job gains occurring in leisure and hospitality, in professional and business services, in manufacturing, and in transportation and warehousing. Employment in public education declined over the month.” With 21,000 new financial positions added to the economy in October, jobs in finance returned to pre-pandemic levels; the BLS predicts 8% job growth in the business and financial sector through 2030.

Remote Work Report Spotlight

In a survey of more than 5,000 knowledge workers from the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Germany, and the U.S., Jabra—a Danish audio and video conferencing equipment provider—sought opinions on what professionals want from their future work arrangements. Their study, “Jabra Hybrid Ways of Working: 2021 Global Report” details their findings.

“For some, it [flexibility] means ‘the ability to connect and get work done from anywhere,’ while to others it means ‘we’ll let you work from home a couple times a week.’ As we’re beginning to find out, however, no one of these definitions is exactly what employees mean when they say they want flexibility. What it seems they really want is autonomy.”

Within a hybrid work environment, workers want more control over their decisions. They want to be the primary deciders of their work locations and schedules. Here’s a breakdown of what professionals in 2021 want for their futures as employees.

Flexibility Over Compensation

Professional Autonomy

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

From business operations and government to quality assurance and social media, the Virtual Vocations database boasts remote job openings in 33 career fields. The top 10 industries for remote jobs changed little from September to October 2021. Most notably, education fell from the top 10 industries list for the first time this year. It was replaced by product management, with project management moving up to ninth place.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Marketing
4. Sales
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Management
9. Project Management
10. Product Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

Yet again, there were at least 4.5 times as many nationwide remote jobs available during the month as there were location-specific remote job postings for any individual state. While the majority of remote job postings found in the Virtual Vocations database are open to all U.S. applicants, some job openings may be location-specific due to factors like travel requirements, company policies, and state tax or employment laws. Thankfully, Virtual Vocations makes easy work of the job search process. Our members use Job Search Filters to conduct nationwide or location-based job searches. Search results can be narrowed by criteria like time zone, region, state, or nationwide.

The following 10 states represented the top locations for October remote job openings. From September to October, the top four states remained the same, but Georgia and Illinois swapped positions to take the fifth and sixth positions respectively. Additional changes included Massachusetts moving up two spots to eighth place and Pennsylvania bumping Washington from the list. Did your state make our top 10?

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. Illinois
7. North Carolina
8. Massachusetts
9. Pennsylvania
10. Arizona

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

Remote hiring is a long-standing priority for these 10 companies; in fact, 80% of the top remote-enabled companies from our October hiring stats are featured on our list of 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of that employer.

Two key hiring changes for the month came with the additions of Indeed and Veeva Systems to the top 10 list, bumping Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and Parallon from our monthly best-of ranking. Indeed, one of the world’s most widely recognized employment-related search engines, blazed through the list to take the third spot. Meanwhile, Veeva Systems, a cloud-based computing software firm, edged out Parallon for the final place in our top 10. Collectively, these 10 companies are responsible for more than 4,000 new remote job openings posted last month.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Indeed
4. Stride, Inc. (3)
5. Humana Inc. (21)
6. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
7. Square, Inc. (93)
8. Facebook*
9. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
10. Veeva Systems (34)

September 2021 proved the slowest month for U.S. job growth since December 2020. Government education jobs suffered notable losses nationwide, but remote education jobs still remained a top 10 work-at-home job category for the month.

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The Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Report for October 2021 analyzes the state of hiring in the U.S., including the nationwide availability of remote jobs. In this report, we examine the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from September 2021, to determine the month’s best-of lists for work from home industries, states, and companies recruiting remote workers for telecommuting, telework, virtual, and home-based jobs.

Throughout September, the Virtual Vocations team and its Employer Partners added more than 47,000 remote job openings to our job board. In fact, September marked 15 consecutive months in which at least 40,000 remote job openings were uploaded to the Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Database. September also signaled the end of the third quarter of 2021. During the third quarter, more than 142,000 remote job openings were screened for quality and added to our job board.

From August to September, the number of remote job openings added to the Virtual Vocations job board decreased by 3.97%. This slight dip can be attributed to slowed job growth nationwide as well as Virtual Vocations’ continued commitment to refining our quality standards to ensure that only the most high quality remote job openings are added to our database.

September’s jobs numbers did not impress. Despite another month of improvement in the national unemployment rate, job growth slowed to the lowest increase in new jobs since December 2020. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 194,000 in September, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point to 4.8 percent,” according to the BLS. The number of employed persons who worked from home specifically due to the the COVID-19 pandemic fell slightly from August (13.4%) to September (13.2%), but largely remained unchanged.

Although nonfarm employment has risen by more than 17 million since the U.S.’s record-high unemployment rate in April 2020, the country is still short 5 million jobs (3.3%) compared to the pre-pandemic levels of February 2020. As jobs continue to increase in fields like leisure and hospitality, recreation, retail trade, and businesses services—all of which were hit hard by the pandemic—notable, and potentially worrisome declines are present in education.

September hiring in education was lower than usual, even after seasonal adjustment by the BLS. More than 144,000 jobs were lost in local government education alone, and state government education roles declined by another 17,000. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, nearly 700,000 total education jobs have been lost across both the public and private education sectors. Remote education jobs, however, continue to remain a stable part of the Virtual Vocations database via a pandemic-prompted increase in demand for home-based education resources provided by online education providers and tutoring programs hiring virtual instructors.

Remote Work Report Spotlight

Well over a year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, PwC surveyed executives and employees at the pivotal moment when they are considering the future of work within their organizations and how their companies can help employees thrive along with their businesses. PwC’s “U.S. Pulse Survey: Next in Work” report revealed insights into employee needs and goals for a new work model as well as trends executives have noticed concerning employee satisfaction and turnover.

“Our latest US Pulse Survey found that 65% of employees are looking for a new job. We also talked to executives, 88% of whom told us they are seeing higher turnover than normal,” according to PwC.

So what do employees want for their work lives in the rest of 2021 and beyond?

Remote Job Options

Flexibility

Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn also recognizes the connection between employee needs and changes to the landscape of the modern workplace, saying, “Although the U.S. unemployment rate has recovered 10 points since its all-time high of 14.80% in April 2020, the job market is still trying to place its footing solidly on the side of recovery. One thing is clear, however; the way forward is for employers to maximize flexible and remote job options for workers. Employees want more control, and they’re willing to leave their existing jobs to find it elsewhere.”

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

The Virtual Vocations database boasts remote job openings in more than 40 career fields, including everything from left-brained jobs in legal, engineering, and accounting to right-brained pursuits like writing, graphic design, and creative services. The top 10 industries for remote jobs stayed relatively the same from August to September 2021. Primarily, project management remote jobs replaced product management as the 10th most popular remote work category for the month.

In September, remote information technology jobs were the most widely available home-based roles compared to any other remote career field, and by a significant margin. There were at least 3.5 times as many IT remote jobs available during September as there were from any other remote job category among this month’s top 10. Whether you are personally looking for a remote job or you are simply curious about which remote career fields are trending, this list is a good place to begin.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Marketing
4. Sales
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Management
9. Education
10. Project Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

There were more than 4.5 times as many nationwide remote jobs available during September as there were for state-specific remote job postings for any individual state. Although the majority of remote job postings found in the Virtual Vocations database are available to any U.S. resident, some job openings may be location-specific due to the requirements of the job. These requirements can include factors like in-person work stipulations or business travel demands, state tax laws, and company policies. The good news is our Job Search Filters make nationwide or location-based job searches a breeze. Remote job search results can be narrowed by criteria like time zone, region, state, or nationwide.

For September, the following 10 states represented the top locations for remote job openings. From August to September, Washington climbed two spots to number eight on our best-of states ranking. Meanwhile, Massachusetts fell one position to 10th place and Virginia dropped from the states list altogether. Arizona replaced Virginia on this month’s list of the best states for remote work.

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. North Carolina
8. Washington
9. Arizona
10. Massachusetts

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

These top 10 companies not only dominated remote hiring for September but also consistently hire remote employees year over year; in fact, 90% of the top remote-enabled companies for September also claimed a spot on our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Square, Inc. (93)
4. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
5. Stride, Inc. (3)
6. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
7. Humana Inc. (21)
8. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
9. Facebook*
10. Parallon (7)

Although the August unemployment rate dropped to 5.2%, nonfarm payroll growth fell well short of job projections nationally while remote employment continued to soar.

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The Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Report for September 2021 analyzes the state of hiring in the U.S., including a nuanced focus on the nationwide availability of remote jobs. In this report, we examine the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from August 2021, to determine the month’s best-of lists for work from home industries, states, and companies recruiting remote workers for telecommuting, telework, virtual, and home-based jobs.

Throughout August, the Virtual Vocations team and its Employer Partners added more than 49,000 remote job openings to its job board. From July to August, the number of total remote jobs added to the database increased by 6.87%. Compared to remote jobs added in August 2020, the total number of jobs published to the job board for the month grew by 14.14% in August 2021. August marks 14 consecutive months in which at least 40,000 remote job openings have been uploaded to the Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Database.

Contrasting remote-specific job growth for the month, August’s “Employment Situation” summary indicated a disappointing turn. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 235,000 in August, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 5.2 percent,” according to the BLS. A continued improvement of the unemployment rate was correctly predicted but job growth projections, however, missed the mark; economists expected 720,000 new jobs would be added in August. The most notable gains in U.S. employment during this period were in the professional and business services industry.

The number of employed persons who worked from home specifically due to the the COVID-19 pandemic rose slightly from July (13.2%) to August (13.4%). A spike in coronavirus cases during August also impacted an increased number of businesses during the month. 5.6 million U.S. workers, which ticked up from 5.2 million in July, reported that they were unable to work because of COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, their employers either lost business or closed within the last four weeks.

While national jobs numbers failed to meet expectations, Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn remains confident in the continued stability of the remote job market, saying, “With the country navigating another wave of COVID-19 cases, we’re witnessing firsthand that employers are hesitant to abandon their remote work policies. What’s more, employees are still demanding the flexibility of remote work, so much so that workers are willing to change jobs altogether if their employers cannot provide them with work-at-home options.”

Remote Work Report Spotlight

As companies consider whether or not their employees should return to physical offices, American media company theSkimm surveyed millennial women’s attitudes on work-life balance, the value they place on in-person work, and if they feel pressure to return to work in a traditional office. Findings from theSkimm’s “Back to ‘Normal’ Survey” revealed polarizing insights into millennial women’s attitudes on remote work related topics.

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

From administration and creative services to project management and writing, the Virtual Vocations database boasts remote job openings in more than 40 career fields. The top 10 industries changed little from July to August 2021. Most notably, product management remote jobs moved into the top 10. These roles include home-based responsibilities focused on overseeing a product’s lifecycle.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Education
9. Management
10. Product Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

While the majority of remote job postings found in the Virtual Vocations database are available nationwide, some job openings may be location-specific due to the requirements of the job, like in-person work stipulations or business travel demands, state tax laws, and company policies. For August, these 10 states represented the top locations for remote job openings. Returning to the list this month are Washington and Virginia, while Arizona and Pennsylvania fell from the top 10.

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. North Carolina
8. Virginia
9. Massachusetts
10. Washington

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

These top 10 companies not only dominated remote hiring for August but also consistently hire remote employees year over year; in fact, 90% of the top remote-enabled companies for August also claimed a spot on our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Square, Inc. (93)
4. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
5. Stride, Inc. (3)
6. Humana Inc. (21)
7. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
8. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
9. Parallon (7)
10. Facebook*

The August 2021 Remote Jobs Report from Virtual Vocations is an in-depth look at the state of hiring in the U.S. with a focus on the availability of remote jobs nationally. Throughout our report, we examine the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from July 2021, to determine the month’s best-of lists for telecommuting and virtual industries, states, and companies recruiting remote workers.

During July, the Virtual Vocations team and its Employer Partners added nearly 46,000 remote job openings to its job board. July was only the second month in 2021 in which total jobs added to the job board dipped below 50,000; however, the Virtual Vocations team is currently evaluating and strengthening their criteria for uploading only the highest quality remote job openings to the database. Compared to remote jobs added in June 2020, the total number of jobs published to the job board for the month grew by 11.51% in July 2021. Each month since July 2020, at least 40,000 remote job openings have been uploaded to the Virtual Vocations Remote Jobs Database.

Speaking on the continued growth of the remote jobs market and the availability of virtual and home-based employment nationwide, Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn said, “We are witnessing consistent growth in core, computer- or phone-based career fields like IT, sales, marketing, and customer service. Since 2020, we have also seen a steady climb in remote job openings for areas like healthcare, education, HR, and management. Employers are adapting to the needs of their employees and clients; therefore, prioritizing remote work is essential.”

The “Employment Situation” summary for July 2021 marks the best month for job growth so far this year. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 943,000 in July, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.5 percentage point to 5.4 percent,” according to the BLS. The most notable gains in U.S. employment, for both remote and on-site jobs, were present in the following industries:

Those who teleworked from home specifically due to the COVID-19 pandemic fell from 14.4% in June to 13.2% in July, which is less of a decline in pandemic-fueled remote work than was evident from May to June. While restrictions on businesses and travel have eased compared to July 2020, COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are on the rise, particularly among unvaccinated and vulnerable populations. We may see employers press pause on a full-scale return to typically forward-facing positions in favor of more traditionally brick-and-mortar roles performed from home where possible.

Remote Work Report Spotlight

We Work Remotely’s fourth edition of its “State of Remote Work” report is the company’s first analysis of what life and remote work look like as states loosen COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The company found that, as of June 2021, businesses and organizations saved $2,000 per employee by going remote. We Work Remotely also uncovered key remote work statistics like these:

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

From accounting and human services to graphic design and writing, the Virtual Vocations database boasts remote job openings from more than 40 career fields. The top 10 industries from June to July 2021 remained unchanged.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Management
9. Education
10. Project Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

While the majority of remote job postings found in the Virtual Vocations database are available nationwide, some job openings may be location-specific due to the requirements of the job, like in-person work stipulations or business travel demands, state tax laws, and company policies. For July, these 10 states represented the top locations for remote job openings. Returning to the list this month, and knocking Washington out of our top 10 ranking for July, is the “Keystone State” of Pennsylvania.

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. Illinois
7. North Carolina
8. Arizona
9. Pennsylvania
10. Massachusetts

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

These top 10 companies not only dominated remote hiring for July but also consistently hire remote employees year over year; in fact, 70% of the top remote-enabled companies for July also claimed a spot on our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer.

The three new additions to this month’s Top 10 Companies list are Square, Inc., a financial technology company specializing in financial services, merchant services aggregation, and mobile payments; Stride, Inc., an online education company formerly known as K12 Inc.; and Varsity Tutors, an educational technology company that connects learners with experts for personalized learning programs.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Square, Inc. (93)
4. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
5. Humana Inc. (21)
6. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
7. Stride, Inc. (3)
8. Varsity Tutors
9. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
10. MoveIn, Inc. (Rentable)

The July 2021 Remote Jobs Report from Virtual Vocations is an in-depth look at the state of hiring in the U.S. with a focus on the availability of remote jobs nationally. Throughout our report, we examine the latest in remote work statistics and trends, as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from June 2021, to determine the month’s best-of lists for telecommuting and virtual industries, states, and companies recruiting remote workers.

June was another best-ever period for Virtual Vocations. It was the third time in 2021 that we surpassed a company record for total number of jobs posted to our remote jobs database within a month. During June, the Virtual Vocations team added more than 59,500 total remote job postings to the job board, equaling a slight increase (1.03%) in the number of jobs published compared to May. However, the job board experienced 100.05% growth when we measured the total number of remote job postings from June 2021 against jobs added to the Virtual Vocations database in June 2020.

Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn is encouraged by what these record-breaking remote jobs stats mean for the future of flexible work. “Continued strong remote jobs numbers indicate that businesses and organizations are not only prioritizing workers’ needs but also the demands of evolving workspaces.” Spawn continued by acknowledging the longstanding climb toward increased access to remote work arrangements in saying, “Desires for greater flexibility in work and life aren’t new, but there are clear signs that these desires are beginning to be acknowledged in meaningful ways.” Employees want remote work options and companies are listening.

The BLS’ “Employment Situation” summary for June 2021 is another positive hiring assessment. “Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 850,000 in June, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.9 percent,” according to the BLS. The most notable gains in U.S. employment, for both remote and on-site jobs, were present in the following industries:

Among employed persons working in June, 14.4% teleworked specifically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this figure is 2.2 percentage points lower than the number of employed persons who reported they teleworked in May because of the pandemic, this does not spell disaster for remote work. Instead, workers are returning to utilizing remote work arrangements as a choice not driven by the pandemic. With increased vaccination rates and fewer COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, companies will likely remove their pandemic-mandated remote work policies and replace them with modified, hybrid options.

Virtual Vocations’ 2021 Career Confidence Survey highlighted employee interest in remote work driven by their experiences throughout 2020. In fact, 65% of working adults say the COVID-19 pandemic has given them more courage to pursue a remote job. The increased demand for remote job options is also supported by a recent survey report from Voodle, the developer of an asynchronous short video application for businesses. In “The Hybrid Workplace Report 2021,” Voodle explored the impact of telecommuting on workplace connections. Voodle’s survey, which polled 800 teleworking tech professionals on their experiences, challenges, and visions for the future in postpandemic work culture, found that hyrbid work arrangements will be permanent fixtures of modern workplaces.

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

More than 40 career categories are represented in the Virtual Vocations database. The industries with the most remote job openings for June 2021 were found among the 10 job industries highlighted below. Demand for remote human resources, financial, and management jobs increased from May to June. The availability of remote education jobs dipped slightly; however, public and private education hiring increased nationally during the month. The slight dip in postings for virtual education jobs can be attributed to the return of in-person learning as brick-and-mortar schools plan traditional openings for the fall 2021 semester.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Human Resources
7. Financial
8. Management
9. Education
10. Project Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

Although most of the job postings added to the Virtual Vocations job board are available nationwide, some job openings may be location-specific due to company policies, state tax laws, or in-person work needs or travel requirements. For June, these 10 states were the top locations for remote job openings. New to the Top 10 States list for the month is the “Evergreen State” of Washington, which replaced Pennsylvania from our previous list.

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. North Carolina
8. Massachusetts
9. Arizona
10. Washington

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

More than half of the top companies for June are part of our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer. Three new additions to this month’s Top 10 Companies list include Stripe, an eCommerce solutions provider; Booz Allen Hamilton, a management and technology consulting firm; and Cvent, a computer software company.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Stripe*
3. Anthem, Inc. (14)
4. Humana Inc. (21)
5. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
6. MoveIn, Inc. (Rentable)
7. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.
8. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
9. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
10. Cvent, Inc.

The Virtual Vocations June 2021 Remote Jobs Report provides in-depth analysis of remote work statistics and trends as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from May 2021.

May 2021 saw Virtual Vocations post the highest monthly jobs totals in the company’s history. Throughout the month, Virtual Vocations added nearly 59,000 remote job postings to the job board. From April to May, the number of remote job openings posted to the job board increased by 4.49%. Compared to remote job postings added to the Virtual Vocations database in May 2020, the company experienced 136.77% growth, a noteworthy feat amid a global pandemic that forced business closures, layoffs and, in some cases, a complete restructuring of employment needs and work styles.

Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn recognizes the continued adaptability of employers and the evolution of remote work in saying, “The Virtual Vocations team is elated to see businesses continue to embrace remote work even as reduced COVID-19 restrictions have allowed more businesses to return to in-person operations.” Spawn continued, “It is all about finding balance between flexibility and productivity. Through remote work, employers and employees have realized both are attainable and sustainable.”

The May 2021 unemployment rate fell 0.3 points to 5.8%, which is the first time the unemployment rate has dipped below 6% in more than a year. This resulted in the number of unemployed persons falling by nearly half a million. Instances of temporary layoffs declined by 291,000 down to 1.8 million—a considerable achievement, according to the BLS, given that in April 2020 this figure reached a high of 18.0 million.

Among employed persons working in May, the BLS reports that 16.6% of them teleworked because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This number is down from 18.3% who reported working from home specifically because of the pandemic during April 2021. Employment gains in leisure and hospitality accounted for more than half of the month’s job gains. Strong gains were also noted in areas like food services, drinking establishments, amusements, accommodation, and recreation. Jobs in government as well as public and private education also posted five-figure jobs gains during May. These trends indicate the resumption of many traditionally in-person activities, services, and experiences as COVID-19 restrictions continue to lapse.

How many organizations will continue to incorporate remote work in a postpandemic environment is a question studied by the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. From December 2020 to January 2021, the company surveyed 100 executives in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America about their intentions concerning whether or not they will continue to offer remote work arrangements. With 90% of executives responding that they plan to continue hybrid work, which incorporates both on-site and remote work options, the majority of them (68%) also reported they have no detailed or communicated plan for how to accomplish this.

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

More than 40 career categories are represented in the Virtual Vocations database. The industries with the most remote job openings for May 2021 were found among the 10 job industries highlighted below. There was one change among the top 10 remote work industries from April to May: project management replaced account management as the 10th best category for remote jobs.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Education
7. Human Resources
8. Financial
9. Management
10. Project Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

Although most of the job postings added to the Virtual Vocations job board are available nationwide, some job openings may be location-specific due to company policies, state tax laws, or in-person work needs or travel requirements. For May, these 10 states were the top locations for remote job openings.

1. California
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. North Carolina
8. Massachusetts
9. Pennsylvania
10. Arizona

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

Nine out of 10 of the top companies for May are part of our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer. Two new additions to this month’s list include Parallon, a healthcare business and operational services provider, and Rentable, a website that allows renters to search through verified rental listings updated daily.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Humana Inc. (21)
3. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
4. Stride, Inc. (3)
5. Anthem, Inc. (14)
6. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
7. Parallon (7)
8. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
9. MoveIn, Inc. (Rentable)
10. CVS Health (13)

The Virtual Vocations May 2021 Remote Jobs Report provides in-depth analysis of remote work statistics and trends as well as U.S. employment data from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from April 2021.

For the third time this year, the Virtual Vocations team screened and published more than 50,000 remote job openings to our Remote Job Board. In fact, April 2021 boasted the third-highest job totals in company history with over 56,000 total remote jobs added to the Virtual Vocations database during the month. Between March and April, the number of remote job openings posted to the job board increased by 5.83%. But remarkably, when compared to remote job postings added to the job board during April 2020, the Virtual Vocations database experienced 104.90% growth.

Nationally, hiring continued to increase in April, according to the BLS “Employment Situation Summary” published on May 7. Approximately 266,000 non-farm payroll jobs were added to the economy during April. However, this news was a disappointment to economists who projected a million new jobs for the month. Additionally, the number of jobs added during March was revised from 916,000 to 770,000 upon further analysis by the BLS. Due to continued reduction of coronavirus restrictions at the local, state, and federal levels, jobs in leisure and hospitality were responsible for most of the month’s hiring, although overall employment in this career field is still down 16.8% from February 2020.

Businesses are still in recovery mode more than a year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the availability of remote jobs has not been hindered. “Even with COVID-19 restrictions beginning to relax and more physical offices reopening, we have not seen a decrease in the availability of remote job postings,” said Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn. “As U.S. workers continue to evaluate their best path for a return to work, fully virtual, flexible, and hybrid jobs remain prominent fixtures within the hiring landscape,” Spawn elaborated.

Although the 6.1% employment rate for April 2021 is down significantly from its high of nearly 15% in April 2020, there is a disconnect between the supply of and demand for vacant positions. While some businesses say it is difficult to find employees ready to work, as Jeffry Bartash from MarketWatch points out in his coverage of April hiring numbers, some workers are more selective of or disappointed in job options available to them. Of particular concern are job opportunities for working mothers, who have been disproportionately affected by unemployment during the pandemic. According to Bartash, “They might not be able to return to work full time until day care centers, schools and nursing home are all fully reopen.”

Zety, a career website and online resume builder, also examined similar societal and economic inequalities perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Zety surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. adults to gauge their opinions about the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and inequality. In his report, career expert Jacques Buffett analyzed how Americans viewed inequality before the pandemic as well as how its effects may or may not influence societal and economic inequalities now and into the future. The survey showed that 66% of Americans felt the U.S. was unequal prior to the pandemic and that 54% believed inequality would worsen after the end of the pandemic. In particular, respondents are worried about effects of income and wealth inequalities. Exploring remote job options, including part-time and temporary remote positions, is one method to mitigate economic inequalities by expanding financial freedom among U.S. workers as the economy continues to recover.

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

Remote jobseekers will find more than 40 career paths represented on the Virtual Vocations job board. The industries with the most remote job openings for April 2021 were found among the 10 career categories highlighted below. There was one change among the top 10 remote work industries from March to April: account management replaced project management as the 10th best category for remote jobs.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Education
7. Financial
8. Human Resources
9. Management
10. Account Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

Many of the best states for remote work remained unchanged from March to April 2021. California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois all held their positions as the top five states with the most remote job openings for the month. These states also consistently appear on our annual list of the best remote work locations. We highlight these and other “best of” lists in our Remote Work & Jobseeker Data Analysis Reports. New states added to the Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings for April are Pennsylvania and Arizona, which bumped Virginia and Washington from the list. In addition to the top five, Georgia, Massachusetts, and North Carolina also held onto their respective rankings from March to April.

1. California
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. Massachusetts
8. Pennsylvania
9. North Carolina
10. Arizona

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

This month, all of the Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings are also part of our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Below, you will find each company’s rank on our Top 100 Companies list featured next to its name. Also, you can select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer. Through our profiles, jobseekers can find company contact information and business details for employers they want to work for, learn more about what it is like to work remotely for that business, and view any available remote job postings with the company.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Anthem, Inc. (14)
3. Humana Inc. (21)
4. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
5. Intone Networks Inc. (78)
6. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
7. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
8. Stride, Inc. (3)
9. Oracle (4)
10. CVS Health (13)

Our April 2021 Remote Jobs Report is a detailed analysis of virtual, flexible, and remote work statistics and trends as well as employment data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from March 2021.

During March, the Virtual Vocations team screened for quality and posted more than 53,000 remote job openings to the Remote Jobs Database, returning to Virtual Vocations’ record-breaking trend of posting 50,000+ remote job vacancies in October, November, and December 2020 as well as January 2021. From February to March 2021, the number of remote job postings added by the Virtual Vocations team grew by 9.81%. Compared to remote jobs added to the job board in March 2020, the Virtual Vocations database experienced 79.26% growth. “The first quarter of 2021 was our best-ever Q1 in the 14-year history of Virtual Vocations,” according to Virtual Vocations CEO Laura Spawn.

Meanwhile, the U.S. economy added 916,000 new nonfarm payroll jobs during March. Significant job gains were made in remote-friendly career fields like hospitality and education. The unemployment rate fell from 6.2% to 6.0% and the number of unemployed Americans decreased from 10.0 million to 9.7 million. This data indicates significant employment improvement from the April 2020 record of 14.7% unemployment and 23.1 million out-of-work persons in the U.S.

A year on from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have begun evaluating the ways in which 12 months with the majority of U.S. professionals working from home could permanently change the composition of the American labor force as well as how these dramatic shifts in work environments have affected workers.

Microsoft’s report, “The 2021 Work Trend Index,” found that the permanency of hybrid work arrangements, which dictate that some employees work from home while others work on-site, is inevitable on a global scale. Not to mention, hybrid and flexible work arrangements are preferred by 73% of employees and 66% of business leaders. Positive feelings about coronavirus induced work environments, however, are not as strong among employees when compared to managers and executives. For example, 61% of business leaders say they are thriving within their circumstances, whereas only 44% of working moms and 36% of new employees (employed less than one year) reported the same positive outlooks.

Pandemic fatigue, including an overload of digital exposure, could be the source of some of these negative feelings. After all, healthy habits and social engagement are critical to long-term success in remote work environments. But working from home has also provided noticeable benefits to workers. A Sleep Standards survey on “2021 Remote Work And COVID-19 Statistics: How Work-From-Home Impacts U.S Employees” found that U.S. employees slept more while working from home and were less likely to fall asleep during the work day. In addition, 45% of workers have learned to appreciate time for themselves and their families specifically due to their experience with remote work.

Top 10 Industries with the Most Remote Job Openings

More than 40 virtual, remote, and online career fields are represented in the Virtual Vocations database. The industries with the most remote job openings for March 2021 were found among these 10 career categories. The only significant change from February was the introduction of project management as a top 10 remote work industry, which replaced account management on the list.

1. Information Technology
2. Healthcare
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Customer Service
6. Education
7. Financial
8. Human Resources
9. Management
10. Project Management

Top 10 States with the Most Remote Job Openings

From February to March 2021, the top seven states with the most remote job openings remained unchanged; although, Florida and New York did swap third and fourth rankings during March. Virginia climbed two spots to take the eighth place on our monthly list. North Carolina dropped one spot to ninth place, and also tied with Washington for the number of location-based remote job postings added for those states. This is Washington’s first appearance as a top 10 remote work state for 2021.

1. California
2. Texas
3. Florida
4. New York
5. Illinois
6. Georgia
7. Massachusetts
8. Virginia
9. North Carolina & Washington

Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings

Our monthly ranking of the Top 10 Companies with the Most Remote Job Openings features both familiar and new names. The four new companies among the top 10 remote-enabled employers for March are Facebook, Intone Networks Inc., an information technology consulting company; Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., a tools and hardware manufacturer; and BairesDev, an IT solutions company.

Throughout the month, the Virtual Vocations team sourced work from home and virtual job openings from more than 6,000 remote-enabled companies. The top 10 companies highlighted below posted the most remote job openings during the month. Eight of the top 10 companies with the most remote job openings for March are featured among our Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Work in 2021 list. Each company’s rank on the top 100 list is provided below. Select any company name to view a researched Virtual Vocations company profile of the employer and learn more about what it’s like to work remotely for that business.

1. UnitedHealth Group (2)
2. Humana Inc. (21)
3. Anthem, Inc. (14)
4. Facebook
5. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) (6)
6. Intone Networks Inc. (78)
7. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (59)
8. U.S. Bank (U.S. Bancorp) (31)
9. Oracle (4)
10. BairesDev