A recent study found a majority of Hawaii employees were still working remotely in August of last year, with most employers indicating they will continue offering remote work in the future.
The study, conducted by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, reported an estimated 198,224 individuals, or 42.4%, of private sector employees were working remotely through August, with over 20,000 individuals working out-of-state.
Throughout the pandemic, more than half of the state’s civilian workers 18 and over worked remotely at some point, and for the Big Island, 28.8% of businesses offered some type of remote work as well.
Prior to the pandemic, just 15.3% of state businesses even had long-term remote work policies set in place.
“Some industries were naturally more resilient and able to minimize the impacts of the pandemic because of the nature of the work,” said DBEDT Director Mike McCartney in a news release accompanying the study. “Businesses that made investments in their digital infrastructure may be able to reap the benefits beyond the pandemic.”
Only 6.5% of businesses removed their remote work options throughout August, which was, in part, due to favorable opinions by both employers and employees.
The study indicated 80.3% of businesses reported positive or neutral experiences related to the remote work transition, along with an overwhelming 90.9% of employees noting they were either somewhat or very satisfied with the situation.
Employers noted that key benefits of remote work included “employee satisfaction, reduced operational costs, and incentives to recruit and retain talent,” but concerns included “difficulty in collaboration and teamwork, monitoring and supervising remote workers, maintaining security and compliance for remote workers, technical challenges due to unreliable internet connectivity, and difficulty maintaining company culture.”
As a result, 65.7% of Hawaii private employers that offered remote work during the pandemic plan on continuing to do so in the future.
“We hope that the results from this study will help to facilitate constructive dialogue between Hawaii’s businesses and their employees to determine their future working arrangements,” said McCartney in the release.
Individuals earning over $50,000 in annual income, or those with bachelor’s or graduate degrees, were most likely to work remotely.
A majority of remote workers at the time of the survey were in computer or mathematical related occupations, followed by arts, design, entertainment, sports and media.
“The insights gained from this study signal Hawaii’s opportunities for growth — as well as gaps and challenges — as the global economy shifts towards the digital economy,” said McCartney in the release. “The data collected from this study provides a better understanding of Hawaii’s changing economic landscape.”