Postings for remote-work jobs jump 457%, according to LinkedIn

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- For years, many employees wanted to work remotely, but their bosses were skeptical.

Now it appears the bosses are also boarding the work-from-home train.

Employment website LinkedIn reported that job postings seeking remote workers have more than quadrupled compared to this time last year.

A LinkedIn chart shows that in some industries the postings for remote work have increased more than 10 times the number of posts from this time last year.

"It's indicative of what we're seeing in the midst of the pandemic and post-pandemic," said Molly Galloway a human resources consultant with the nonprofit organization Catapult.

She said the whopping 457% increase in remote job postings over last year reported by LinkedIn doesn't surprise her.

Companies are realizing that allowing some employees to work remotely is seen by some job candidates as a benefit, she said.

Of those responding to an ABC11 Facebook poll Thursday, 75% said they prefer working from home to being in the office.

So they see it as a big benefit.

"We didn't claim it as much as a benefit in the past," Galloway said, "And now both an employer is interested in offering it as well as employees are asking for it and almost expecting it."

But it's a two-way street, according to Galloway, who said remote working can also be a benefit for employers.

They may be able to save money leasing office space in the future.

And their candidate pool can grow dramatically when offering remote work.

"We've seen many organizations looking for a specific skill set that may or may not be right in your backyard. And if it's a job that can be done remote, you might be able to attract talent from a different part of the country or world even," Galloway said.

That can also save on relocation costs.

But Galloway said the learning curve is still steep.

And once people are able to return en masse to the office, it could be tricky deciding which jobs can be done remote-only, which must be in-person only, and which can be a hybrid of both.

"The trick is for all organizations to figure out what's the right balance of personal connections that come from being together vs. always being apart," Galloway warned.

Still, she said, working remotely will likely play a major role in business across the world from here on out.