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A new survey of 1,500 remote workers in the United States reveals a snapshot of the current return-to-office landscape. Nearly one-quarter of fully remote workers (23%) say they wouldn't return to the office no matter how big of a raise they were offered. Those who would consider returning would demand at least a 20% pay increase to make the switch.
JobLeads, a leading jobs platform, analyzed responses from four LinkedIn surveys conducted globally between November 2025 and February 2026. The surveys collected a total of 7,705 responses from professionals across multiple industries and geographic regions. Each survey focused on a specific aspect of remote work preferences, with sample sizes ranging from approximately 1,500 to 2,900 respondents per survey. And the results, compiled in the "Remote Work Benefits for Employees & Employers [2026]" report, illustrate just how non-negotiable remote work has become.
According to one of the surveys, 37% of 1,505 respondents would rather give up social media entirely than return to the office full time, and 20% would give up coffee. But only 6% would sacrifice vacation time.
Another survey, which received nearly 3,000 responses, indicated 59% of workers believe better work-life balance is the single biggest benefit of remote work, while yet another survey showed that 74% would choose a remote job over an on-site one even if it paid less.
Remote workers also save between $2,000 and $6,500 per year and gain 62-90 minutes every day by eliminating their commute — roughly 10 to 15 extra days per year — according to the report.
All of which suggests that employers might be eliminating potential high-quality candidates simply because of their no-work-from-home policies. According to a previous JobLeads study of more than five million U.S. job postings, more than 87% of all open roles are fully in-office, while only 6% are fully remote.
The documented benefits of working from home "demonstrate why remote work has evolved from a temporary pandemic response to a permanent transformation in how we approach professional life," the report concludes. "When implemented thoughtfully, remote work creates a win-win dynamic. The employee gains autonomy and flexibility, while employers benefit from motivated teams and cost efficiency."
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