According to a recent analysis, the number of black workers and disabled people looking for flexible work reached record highs last year.
Flexa, a platform for the future of work, conducted a study that revealed the number of black, African, and Caribbean people who sought flexible roles nearly tripled from 5% to 14% between January 2024 and December 2024. This is the highest percentage recorded since the study began collecting data in 2020.
The latest Work Index showed that the number of disabled people and/or those with health problems who were looking for flexible jobs last year increased by 50%, with a demand peak of 19% between August and November.
In a study of over 60,000 job seekers and 25,000 job ads, the preferences of people in terms working environment and culture were examined.
The demand for remote work was greater than the supply. The number of people who want to work at home has increased by 10% in the last year. Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they wanted to do so full-time. Comparatively, in 2024 only 4% advertised positions offered this.
More than one-fourth (27%) of respondents prefer jobs where they can choose their own start times and end times.
The analysis shows that the supply of flexible hours outpaced the demand towards the end the year. More than half of all job ads (56%) promoted them in October 2024, and one-third (35%) did so in December.
The workers also indicated that they appreciated employers who offered mental health support. A third of the workforce preferred roles which provided this.
In 2024, 45% of job seekers preferred four-day work weeks.
Molly Johnson Jones, CEO and cofounder of Flexa said: “Inflated salaries are a sign that companies are willing to compete for the best performers. It’s still not enough. Companies that are not able or willing to provide the remote work candidates desire will need to find other ways to compensate their top talent by 2025.
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The good news is we are seeing more and more diverse talent seeking different types of benefits. People with disabilities and other health conditions are more interested than ever in jobs that offer different working styles. The demand for mental support is high across the board. When companies are able to meet this demand, both sides win. “A range of flexible benefits and flexibility is key to attracting talent who have a variety of needs.”
