key takeaways
- Remote and hybrid work models are now a sizable part of the U.S. job market.
- Tech, e-commerce, logistics, home improvement, and digital sectors have been benefitting from flexible work trends.
- Commercial office spaces and urban transit are facing challenges.
- Market shifts reflect both changing worker preferences and evolving corporate strategies.
Remote work is no longer just a pandemic-era fix—it is now part of the new normal in how many businesses operate and workers live. As of August 2025, about 22.1%, or just shy of a quarter of all U.S. workers reported working from home. Flexibility and convenience are proving hard to give up: nearly half (46%) of remote workers say they would be unlikely to stay at their jobs if forced back into the office
The structural shift has had direct implications for investors—from ups and downs in commercial real estate to the evolution of the IT and digital industries, entire sectors have been upended by the rapid expansion of remote work. This article breaks down the biggest winners and losers of the ongoing trend, and explores how you can minimize risks and even benefit from it.
Remote Work Is Here to Stay—What That Means for Markets
The persistence of remote remote and hybrid work models reflects both worker demand and corporate strategy. Companies see cost savings from smaller office footprints, while employees gain flexibility. Both benefit from wider geographic options: employers and workers are no longer tied to a specific location.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the percentage of people who can work remotely has increased across all education levels, but remains highly concentrated among those with a higher education—about 40% of remote workers in Q1 2024 held at least a Bachelor’s degree. The figure increases to nearly 44% for those with an advanced degree.
For financial markets, this trend is creating both headwinds and tailwinds, according to CBRE’s 2025 U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook Midyear Review:
- Office vacancy rates remain elevated, and demand for traditional office space is under pressure in non-prime areas.
- It’s projected that the overall office vacancy rate will end 2025 near 18.9%, 30 basis points above initial forecasts, reflecting continued soft demand for traditional office space.
- There’s a growing gap between prime and non-prime office space, with high-quality, well-located properties faring well while weaker assets seeing vacancy pressure.
- Leasing activity in the office sector is expected to grow only modestly in 2025 with tenants cautious of economic uncertainty and slower office-using job growth.
- The industrial/logistics sector is also seeing a “flight to quality”—tenants are abandoning older space in favor of newer, well-served facilities.
As evidenced by the data, remote work is no longer a temporary drag, but a structural force reshaping the commercial real estate and infrastructure markets. Prime assets appear poised to continue to attract clients, while the demand for non-prime office space remains uncertain.
Winners in a Work-From-Anywhere Economy
Several industries have benefitted from remote and hybrid work models becoming long-term fixtures:
- Technology infrastructure: Tech and software service-related jobs remain a growth engine, expanding 75% from 2007 to 2024—far outpacing office-using industries.
- E-commerce and logistics: Demand for modern logistics facilities is rising alongside online shopping trends, with CBRE forecasting steady rent growth in newer, higher-quality fulfillment spaces.
- Home improvement: The U.S. home improvement market was valued at $476.93 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $623.34 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.61%. This growth is due in part to continued remote work policies and the fostering of a home-based lifestyle.
- Digital sector: Some digital infrastructure ETFs are explicitly tied to demand from data processing and artificial intelligence (AI). For example, the iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) provides exposure to companies that enable digital data storage, processing, and network infrastructure, as well as the future development of AI, all of which are essential to remote work environments.
Who’s Losing Out as Office Culture Declines?
Not all sectors are benefitting from the rise of remote work. Some are seeing structural challenges:
- Commercial real estate (CRE): Office vacancies remain elevated, with remote and hybrid work policies reducing office demand overall. Older, less-amenitized buildings face the steepest pressure as tenants prioritize high-quality, modern space.
- Transit and urban infrastructure: With fewer workers commuting daily as a result of the shift to remote work, demand for urban transit systems and related infrastructure may add further uncertainty to city budgets.
Together, these trends demonstrate that the shift in the work culture has had an uneven impact across sectors, with legacy office and urban-dependent industries struggling to regain their footing.
The Bottom Line
Remote work has grown into an integral part of the U.S. job market, reshaping companies and entire industries. For investors, the challenge is separating lasting trends—like digital infrastructure growth and flexible work arrangements—from temporary shifts. While some industries may struggle under reduced demand for office space, others are thriving in the work-from-anywhere world. The future of remote work may not be uniform, but its influence on markets is here to stay.
