Nearly 40% of software engineers will only work remotely (2023)

Labor market, power, and RTO motives

• Some argue the boom is over; after months of unemployment many will compromise on remote-only. Others say the “genie is out of the bottle” – engineers now know remote can work and won’t fully go back.
• Several view RTO as a covert layoff tool and salary reset mechanism, not a productivity play. It pushes out those unwilling to return without paying severance.
• Section 174 (amortizing software development costs) is cited as a hidden driver of headcount reduction and AI adoption.
• Governments and landlords are seen as additional RTO drivers via tax breaks, commercial real estate exposure, and local downtown economics.

Preferences: remote, hybrid, and office-centric

• A substantial subset insists on remote-only, citing more freedom, family time, avoidance of commutes, and lower cost of living. Some would only return for very large salary uplifts.
• Others say WFH has been personally disastrous: isolation, lack of motivation, difficulty feeling part of a shared mission, and poor work–life separation without a distinct workplace.
• Some want full-time in-office teams, not hybrid or empty offices, and would even accept pay cuts. Others like hybrid: office for collaboration, home for deep work.
• There is pushback against “militant” attitudes on both sides; many emphasize choice and matching teams by preference.

Impacts on hiring, pay, and careers

• One data source finds ~41% of candidates select remote-only, and ~9% in-office-only; these are self-limiting choices that reduce their job pool.
• Remote jobs are fewer than during the pandemic; some report it’s hard to get hired at all, regardless of mode.
• Candidates often demand significant salary premiums for in-office roles versus remote, especially in high-cost cities.
• Concerns arise about junior engineers missing in-person mentoring and remote workers being treated as second-class when most of the team is on-site.

Culture, organization, and unions

• Some see rising RTO pressure and “cog” treatment as a moment to push for tech unions to secure options like remote work and fairer layoff practices.
• Many comments stress that success of remote work depends on company culture, processes, and everyone being set up to collaborate remotely, not just a few individuals.