Is Remote Work Really Declining? Insights from Industry Experts Reveal a Thriving Market

Understanding the Landscape of Remote Work in Ireland
Recent media narratives suggest a return to office work, implying that remote work is in decline. However, Graham Harron of Grow Remote argues that this perspective overlooks significant data, revealing a thriving remote job market.

The Reality of Remote Work Demand

The conversation about the future of work in Ireland should focus on how work is conducted, rather than just where. Embracing flexibility benefits individuals, employers, and local communities. Different work models serve various needs; therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective.

The Challenge of Tracking Remote Jobs

Remote employment is often harder to track because many remote-first companies do not use traditional job boards. They recruit through their career pages, professional networks like LinkedIn, or dedicated platforms such as EU Remote Jobs. This hiring strategy affects the data on remote job availability.

Conflicting Data: What's Really Happening?

While reports from IrishJobs.ie indicate that fully remote job postings made up only 2.3% of job listings in Q4 2024, LinkedIn's data tells a different story:

• 40% of job listings in Ireland are remote or hybrid.
• 15% are fully remote.
• 25% are hybrid.

Why the Discrepancy?

The discrepancy arises from which remote jobs are advertised and where. Major employers like Revolut, Tines, and HubSpot list their remote jobs on their own platforms or LinkedIn, not on traditional job boards, leading to underrepresentation in statistics.

The Bigger Picture

Despite claims of a decline, the data suggests that remote work is not disappearing. Instead, it is not measured accurately. According to CPL's 2025 Salary Guide, a vast majority of Irish employees prefer hybrid or remote work arrangements. In fact, 81% of companies struggled to attract skilled talent last year, prompting 62% of employers to adopt hybrid work strategies to attract talent.

The demand for remote work is evident, and the supply is more robust than perceived. As Graham Harron states, "If jobseekers, policymakers, and anyone interested in ‘the state of remote’ were to look beyond traditional sources, they would find a remote job market that is thriving, not declining."