Buffalo Next: Ahead for the workplace: more gig workers and digital nomads

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Gig workers will make up half of the U.S. workforce five years from now.

The number of “digital nomads” will increase to 60 million by the year 2030.

Most employers will pay for home office setup for their employees.

Delaware North released a report about the workforce.

After almost completely shutting down its operations during the Pandemic, the Buffalo-based hospitality giant commissioned “The Future of Recreation, Travel and Hospitality.” The report was produced.

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The report looks at the trends from the past couple of years, including widespread remote work and diminished business travel.

80 million people will be in the gig economy by the year 2027, compared with 55 million last year. The report said that this inexorable rise means that the labor force will never return to normal.

The report said that some large, forward- thinking companies will create apps that will enable workers to pick up shifts at franchised locations where they travel to. Unions will want to have a say in the creation of internal work apps that protect their benefits.

According to the report, the gig economy has diverted workers away from entry level jobs in the industry. Flexible working hours and a wider variety of work are some of the benefits gig jobs provide.

The number of “digital nomads”, who are not anchored to a desk in one office to do their jobs, will rise from 11 million in 2020 to nearly 60 million by the year 2020.

The report said a growing number of people and businesses are embracing a future where the focus is on what work is getting done and not where or when it’s getting done. The tectonic shift will not be reversed.

“Workweeks like nine-to-five workdays, five-day workweeks, even four-day workweeks will soon come to seem like relics of an inflexible inflexible work schedule according to a report.”

According to the report, employers will be more likely to pay for home office setup as remote and hybrid work go mainstream. 75% of employers will pay for those setup by the year 2030, according to the report.

Large corporations could open “work hubs” where employees could meet up to work together instead of traveling to the headquarters, according to the report. “This will help companies maintain their corporate culture, a quality too easily lost through remote working, but essential for retaining workers and recruiting new ones,” the report said.

Delaware North is taking a close look at the report. Jerry Jacobs Jr., one of the company’s CEOs, said thatDelaware North has begun leadership workshops to discuss how the report’s findings can shape investments and business lines going forward.

Getting to know you through the internet.

Newly hired employees used to arrive at the office to meet their new co-workers.

That might not be the case anymore.

Fifty seven percent of employees in New York state who have started a new job since March 2020 have never met their co-workers in person, according to a survey by Green Building Elements.

It’s not as high as Nebraska’s 89%, which led all states. Kentucky and Montana had the lowest percentage of people who hadn’t met their coworkers in person.

Many workers prefer working from home, and are more productive working that way, according to the results of the survey. With the rise of remote work, companies are more open to hiring employees who don’t live in the same region.

More than half of work-from- home employees say their relationships with their co-workers have improved since they weren’t working in person. 18% of those who are working from home say they would be more likely to come back if their employer made the workspace an eco-friendly environment.

The survey was conducted by Green Building Elements.

We’ve heard a lot about the “quit rate” and employees taking the opportunity to change jobs during the Pandemic.

According to the Robert Half’s Job Optimism Survey, the trend isn’t letting up.

According to the survey, four in 10 workers are either looking or planning to look for a new role by the end of the year.

A salary increase was the most commonly cited reason for a job change. More than half of the workers who are considering a job change are planning to do a hybrid or fully remote job.

“In this market, even passive job seekers are flight risks so it’s crucial for companies to address employees’ priorities before they even contemplate a career move,” said Paul Mcdonald, senior executive director of Robert Half.

Do you want to know more? Three stories to catch you up.

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The team at Buffalo Next gives a big picture of the region’s economy. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or call Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson.

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