Bright MLS: 37% of Remote Workers Would Seek Other Jobs Over Return-to-Office

(Image courtesy of Bright MLS)

Bright MLS, North Bethesda, Md., found 37% of those who currently work remotely at least part of the time said they would look for a new job if their employer made them return to the office on a full-time basis.

Older workers are more likely to say they’d quit or look for a new job if required to return to the office–43% of those 50-plus. In contrast, 32% of those in their 40s would look elsewhere, along with 34% of those under 40.

Widespread return-to-office mandates could also play an important role in residential housing and moving patterns.

Eleven percent of remote workers said they would definitely have to move if they were called back into the office full-time. Another 15% said they would probably have to move.

And, 25% said they would have a long commute if called back into the office full-time. Just shy of half–49%–said they still live “pretty close” to their offices.

Of those who said they would have to move or endure a particularly long commute, more than 30% have lived in their current home for less than five years, potentially reflecting trends in pandemic-era buying.

Regionally, homeowners on the West Coast would be most likely to be faced with a decision about whether to move. Thirty-five percent in the Pacific region–California, Oregon and Washington–said they’d have to move or endure a long commute.

A quarter of those in the Middle Atlantic and West South Central regions said the same.

In contrast, only 11% of those in New England 13% of those in the West North Central region said the same.

Bright MLS conducted its study of more than 1,500 homeowners in mid-November.