Work from Home Jobs Surge in Australia: 1 in 10 Ads Now Offer Remote Options

Working from home, at least part of the week, has become the new normal for millions of Australians. New data from Australia’s largest employment website, Seek, reveals that one in ten job advertisements now mention work-from-home options.

The Rise of Remote Roles

According to Seek chief economist Blair Chapman, “Post-COVID we saw a massive peak in work-from-home offerings, and it has since come down, but recently over the past couple of months we have seen that turn up.” The most common remote roles include occupational therapists, accountants, property managers, speech pathologists, and admin officers.

The uptick is strongest in cities with long commutes, as workers embrace the flexibility remote work provides. One worker shared, “I live an hour away from the city so it’s great, also just life admin, not having to take a day off to get a fridge delivered or anything like that.”

Employers and Trust Issues

While remote work is popular, some employers remain wary. Professor Gary Martin from the Australian Institute of Management notes, “We’ve got big trust issues in the workplace at the moment.” This has led to increased surveillance, with employers installing monitoring software on workers’ laptops to track productivity. The software can reveal when employees are online or offline, sometimes showing slacking off, but also demonstrating that some workers are more efficient away from the office.

Not for Everyone

Despite the surge, not all workers prefer remote work. Some employees still favor the office environment, and for those in hands-on industries like trades and delivery services, working from home simply isn’t an option. One tradie stated, “Nah! Not in elevator installation.”

Overall, Seek’s data shows that job ads offering work-from-home options attract significantly more applicants, indicating that flexibility is a key factor for job seekers in Australia.