According to a report published back in February from IDC Research, one billion people will work in a virtual environment by December and 1.2 billion by 2013. Through technology and social networking, we are creating alliances and partnerships across thought silos rather than geographical ones.
The notion of the office is changing rapidly. Companies are examining associate models and consultants are creating a home office/travel type work experience.
The adjustment continues as over a quarter of the world’s working population moves to home offices, web technologies and virtual work spaces.
Here are some details from the report:
• The United States has the highest percentage of mobile workers in its workforce. The U.S. will remain the most highly concentrated market for mobile workers with 119.7 million workers, being mobile in 2013.The World Gets A Lot Smaller
• Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) represents the largest total number of mobile workers throughout the forecast, with 546.4 million mobile workers in 2008 growing 37.4% of the total workforce in 2013. At the end of the forecast, 62% of the world's mobile workforce will be based in this region.
• Western Europe's mobile workforce will enjoy a healthy compound annual growth rate of 6% over the forecast period to reach 129.5 million mobile workers in 2013, surpassing the total number of mobile workers in the United States.
• Japan's mobile worker population will total 49.3 million in 2013, representing 74.5% of its total workforce.
• The rest of the world, which is comprised of Canada and the emerging market countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America, will see its mobile worker population grow to 153.2 million by 2013.
I hear people lament all the time that their boss won't let them do some work at home or entertain a flexible work schedule plan. The boss doesn't think the job will get done without employees sitting in their office during office hours.
How is this affecting your career and business?
knealemann
strategy. marketing. media.
image credit: apeasternpower
