Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
- Remote work has stabilized at 25% of workdays and isn’t declining, despite dramatic media headlines.
- Data proves hybrid work boosts retention and profit without hurting performance.
- Clear coordination is key, because successful hybrid models require structured, team-based office days.
If you’ve been doom-scrolling headlines proclaiming the “death of remote work,” Stanford economist Nick Bloom has one message for you: don’t believe the hype.
Speaking live at the Running Remote 2025 conference, Bloom brought his signature mix of wit and data to dismantle the most persistent myths about remote and hybrid work.
From Zoom’s alleged return-to-office mandate to Amazon’s controversial RTO push, he exposed how sensational media headlines have distorted a simple truth: work from home has stabilized, and it’s not going anywhere.
The Media Says It’s Over. The Data Says Otherwise
Bloom explained the following:
“Work from home peaked at over 60% of working days during the pandemic,”
“Today, it’s stabilized at around 25% — and that figure hasn’t budged in two years.”
In other words, remote work has simply settled into a new normal rather than vanishing.
Bloom shared data from three separate sources — surveys, building access records (Kastle), and cell phone tracking (Placer.ai) — all pointing to the same conclusion: the number of remote workdays in the U.S. has plateaued.
Despite media narratives suggesting a widespread return to the office, the evidence tells a very different story.
So why the disconnect?
“Media incentives are driving the drama,” said Bloom.
“Headlines like ‘The End of Remote Work’ get clicks. Stories that say ‘It’s Still the Same’ don’t.”
There’s Proof Of Hybrid Work’s Popularity and Profitability
One of the most compelling moments of the keynote came when Bloom broke down the results of a groundbreaking A/B test with Trip.com, a global, publicly traded travel company.
The study randomly assigned employees to two groups: one worked in-office five days a week; the other worked hybrid (three in-office days, two remote).
After two years of tracking metrics, the results were clear:
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- No performance difference between the two groups.
- 35% reduction in quit rates among hybrid workers.
- Estimated $20 million annual profit increase due to reduced turnover and office space needs.
“This is not just about employee happiness,” Bloom emphasized. “It’s a bottom-line issue. Hybrid work is highly profitable.”
The Secret to Making Hybrid Work? Coordination
Despite hybrid work’s benefits, many organizations are still struggling to get it right. Why? According to Bloom, it comes down to poor coordination.
“People want to come into the office to collaborate and socialize,” he said.
“If you’re forcing people in on random days when their team isn’t there, what’s the point?”
The takeaway is that hybrid policies must be coordinated and enforced consistently. Unclear or overly flexible schedules lead to empty offices, frustrated employees, and wasted resources.
Bloom contrasted the IMF (with a clear Tuesday-Thursday policy that works) against the World Bank (a four-day “suggestion” that few follow).
The IMF’s tight structure worked. The World Bank’s looser one didn’t.
A Global Snapshot And A Big Opportunity
Bloom also shared global remote work trends from a 22-country survey.
English-speaking countries lead the way, with the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia reporting the highest levels of remote work. Europe isn’t far behind, while Asia still lags — a trend Bloom called “a policy failure.”
“These are dense, expensive cities with long commutes,” he said.
“Encouraging remote work could improve quality of life, boost productivity, and even raise fertility rates in countries struggling with population decline.”
🔮 Looking Ahead at What the Next Decade Holds
While Bloom sees no major changes in remote work policy over the next 12 months — even in the event of a recession — he’s bullish on the long-term outlook.
“Technology will only get better,” he said. “From video conferencing to virtual reality, the tools are evolving. And as leases expire, more companies will downsize and embrace hybrid models.”
He closed with a historical chart tracing work from home rates back to 1965, showing a steady, exponential rise long before the pandemic accelerated the trend.
“Looking five to ten years out,” Bloom said.
“Remote work levels are going to rise again.”
That’s the clearest forecast I can give.
Remote work is a permanent fixture of the modern workforce, and for companies still resisting it, the data clearly shows that a hybrid model is a smart and viable business strategy.
Watch the full video recap:
