With major employers such as Amazon, HSBC Holdings Plc, and Barclays Plc announcing return to office mandates, more professionals (including employees at these companies) are desperately seeking for a job, career, and employer that allows them to work flexibly without needing to worry about commuting to the office every day of the week.

Recent data from a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research NBER highlights the countries, cities, and industries where this sought-after work model is most prevalent.

The below findings will help you to be more confident in your decision-making for the future of your career, and provide you with guidance on next steps when looking for a job, in terms of your location, the industry you decide to work in, and the educational requirements needed.

Top 5 Countries For Remote Work In 2024

Based on the research revealed in NBER’s working paper, it appears that these five countries offer the highest density of remote-and-hybrid-friendly jobs:

1. UK—known for tech, finance, and business hubs such as London and Glasgow, and widespread flexible work policies and laws in place to protect employees.
2. U.S—as a dominant player in the remote work space, the world’s major companies have their headquarters in the United States, especially in key cities such as San Francisco or New York. You can expect a growing number of hybrid job availability here.
3. Australia—”Over the past year, the share of job postings mentioning remote work has increased in almost 70% of occupations, led by large gains in agriculture, physicians & surgeons, and real estate,” Indeed says of “down under.” Australia leads with remote work even with slowed-down growth in some sectors.
4. Canada—latest research from Statistics Canada reveals that hybrid work arrangements in particular have gained ground, although as a general rule, exclusively remote work has declined in Canada.
5. New Zealand—recently, Auckland, to the north of New Zealand was listed as a top remote work destination; in addition, New Zealand claimed one of the top spots for work/life balance as a country according to Time Out.

The share of job postings that were advertized as being explicitly remote or hybrid jumped in all five of these countries from 2020, and reached their highest peak last year (the study covers data up to 2023).

Top 10 Cities For Remote Work

But knowing the countries that offer remote and hybrid work is not enough on its own. Narrowing down on the best cities which have a concentration of hybrid-remote and remote jobs allows you to start looking for work in those areas, and even start considering relocation plans for hybrid work.

Based on their findings, the researchers at NBER discovered these remote-friendly cities:

1. Washington D.C., U.S.
2. Toronto, Canada
3. Sydney, Australia
4. New York, U.S.
5. Phoenix, U.S.
6. Atlanta, U.S.
7. Chicago, U.S.
8. Glasgow, U.K
9. London, U.K
10. San Francisco, U.S.

These countries and cities are best suited for finding remote work since places such as London and San Francisco are the tech hubs of the world (and tech is the number one industry to find remote work). They also have a growing number of co-working spaces which is excellent for hybrid models, or an excellent choice if you occasionally wanted to step out of your home office for a break and network with other professionals.

Additionally, cities such as New York and London are financial hubs, with Washington D.C. being at the center of legal operations, making the industries listed below of particular value when it comes to finding a prevalence of remote work availability.

Top 5 Industries For Remote Jobs

The top five industries for remote work are:

1. Computer and mathematical
2. Architecture and engineering
3. Management
4. Legal
5. Business and financial operations

Within these, you can expect a wide variety of remote jobs such as:

• Software developer/engineer
• Data scientist/analyst
• CAD designer
• Architect
• Project manager
• HR manager
• Legal consultant
• Compliance officer
• Business consultant
• Tax consultant

Top 10 Degrees For Remote Jobs

If you’re wondering about degree requirements for these types of roles and industries, below are a few broad degrees that you should consider studying for in the new year. These will increase your chances of finding a remote job in roles spanning software and web development, AI, cybersecurity, data science, CAD design, project management, HR management, compliance, and tax consultancy and accounting:

1. Computer science
2. Information technology (IT)
3. Data science/analytics
4. Architecture
5. Civil engineering
6. Mechanical engineering
7. Business administration (bachelor degree and MBA)
8. Project management
9. Law (JD or LLB)
10. Finance and accounting

Leading countries, cities, and industries are embracing the remote (and especially hybrid-remote) work model as a long-term solution, which offers you optimal wellbeing and flexibility while maintaining work productivity. Seek out these locations, industries, and jobs, and undertake the necessary education and certifications so that you can capitalize on the remote work market and carve a successful career.