What do parents need from a remote job? Has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced how parents view remote work and general job security? Which remote job industries are most sought after by parents? The data is in, and we have answers to these questions and more in our Parent Remote Job Search Survey Results report for 2021.
As part of our sixth annual National Work and Family Month celebration, Virtual Vocations surveyed more than 250 parents interested in new remote job options. We wanted to learn more about what parents want from their job searches and, ultimately, their work-at-home careers.
CEO’s Statement on the 2021 Parent Survey
“As a parent who has worked remotely since my children were young, the value of schedule flexibility and autonomy over my work hours has been key in my success as both a mother and a professional.
Parents who have recently experienced the benefits that remote work offers them and their children, in large part due to COVID-19 restrictions, are now considering how to make the best of both work and parenting responsibilities on a long-term basis through continued remote work. This shift should be welcome to employers who support mental health and employees’ personal values as crucial aspects of retaining top talent and a thriving workforce.
Working from home throughout my children’s formative years allowed me to be there when they needed me, not just when I was available, and there is a big difference between the two. In today’s tech-driven world, parents should not have to choose between supporting their children versus keeping their jobs, especially when it has been proven time and again that they can accomplish their work and maintain high career productivity levels at the same time.”
—Laura Spawn, Virtual Vocations CEO and Co-Founder
Parent Survey Data Analysis
Respondent Demographics
- All respondents confirmed they are at least 18 years of age.
- All respondents confirmed they are the parent of at least one child aged 18 or younger who lives with them in their home.
- All respondents confirmed they are either out of work or would prefer a new job.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY OUT OF WORK?
Survey respondents’ answers, which are detailed below, are divided into the following groups, depending on their answer to the question above, “Are you currently out of work?”
- Parents Who Are Out of Work (47.49%).
- Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job (52.71%).
Parents Who Are Out of Work
This data set provides survey responses from Virtual Vocations members who stated that they were out of work at the time of the survey. The data for unemployed parents has been sub-divided into the following categories:
- Demographics
- Workforce Experiences
- Remote Career Preferences
- Remote Job Search Habits
Demographics of Unemployed Parents
Key Demographic Statistics for Parents Out of Work
- Most respondents (61.54%) are from the Millennial generation.
- The majority of parents out of work are female (51.69%).
- 71.80% have earned a professional or advanced degree or certification.
- Nearly half of parents out of work (47.46%) are experienced professionals; only 16.10% classify themselves entry-level workers; 30.50% are management or senior-level management professionals.
WHAT IS YOUR AGE RANGE?
WHAT IS YOUR GENDER?
WHAT IS YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION?
WHAT IS YOUR CAREER LEVEL?
Workforce Experiences of Unemployed Parents
Key Workforce Experiences Statistics for Parents Out of Work
- 48.72% of unemployed parents have been out of work for less than six months.
- 28.21% of respondents have been out of work for at least one year, with 8.55% unemployed for more than five years.
- One-third (33.90%) exited the workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic; this was the primary reason parents cited as to why they are unemployed.
- Aside from the coronavirus pandemic affecting employment situations, the second-most cited reason parents left the workforce (14.41%) was due to insufficient opportunities to use their skills and/or education.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE?
WHY DID YOU EXIT THE WORKFORCE?
Remote Career Preferences of Unemployed Parents
Key Remote Career Preferences Statistics for Parents Out of Work
- Out-of-work parents also cited the COVID-19 pandemic (33.33%) as the number one reason why they want to work remotely; the pandemic showed them how quickly employment situations can change, and they want more job security via remote job opportunities.
- The top remote career industries sought by unemployed parents are: information technology, healthcare/medical, customer service/tech support, all tied at 11.30% favorability among respondents.
- 50.00% of all parents out of work want a full-time job.
- The majority (58.47%) of unemployed parents also want a permanent position; approximately one-third (33.05%) ideally want to be classified as independent contractors/self-employed professionals.
- Only 10.17% of respondents, who are the parent of at least one minor child who lives at home with them, do not want to talk on the phone for work; the rest (89.93%) would agree to make work calls from home, at least during certain times of day.
- The majority of out-of-work parents (54.24%) want to work morning hours, beginning around 8:00–9:00 a.m. or earlier; one-quarter (24.58%) need a completely flexible schedule.
- 64.65% would agree to periodic or annual work travel or attend on-site events; only 35.34% of out unemployed parents do not want to travel or appear on-site.
- Once they secure a remote job, the top childcare plan among unemployed parents (38.46%) is to work while their child/ren attend in-person school; only 2.56% plan to utilize daycare services provided outside of their home.
WHICH OF THESE OPTIONS BEST DESCRIBES WHY YOU WANT TO WORK REMOTELY?
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REMOTE CAREER INDUSTRIES WOULD BE IDEAL FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE AND FUTURE PLANS?
DO YOU WANT TO WORK ON A FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME BASIS?
WHAT TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS DO YOU NEED FROM A REMOTE JOB?
Considering you are a parent of minor children, think about your home-based work environment. ARE REMOTE JOBS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO BE ON THE PHONE OKAY WITH YOU?
GENERALLY, WHAT TIME WOULD YOU PREFER TO WORK?
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TRAVELING FOR WORK OR APPEARING ON-SITE FOR TRAINING AND EVENTS?
WHEN YOU SECURE A REMOTE JOB, HOW WILL YOUR CHILDCARE PLANS LOOK?
Remote Job Search Habits of Unemployed Parents
Key Remote Job Search Habits Statistics for Parents Out of Work
- Within the last month, 43.22% of unemployed parents have found at least one job that fits their career interests.
- 19.49% of respondents have found no jobs that suit their needs, and another 8.47% said they are not actively searching for available positions.
- Preferred job search methods vary among unemployed parents; the most popular method was a general web search via Google or a similar search engine (27.97%).
- One-quarter of out-of-work parents (24.58%) prefer to search for jobs on a job board like Virtual Vocations; only 7.63% utilize the services of staffing agencies or head hunters.
DURING YOUR JOB SEARCH OVER THE LAST MONTH, HOW MANY JOBS DID YOU FIND THAT FIT YOUR CAREER INTERESTS?
WHEN JOB HUNTING, WHAT IS YOUR MAIN SEARCH METHOD?
Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job
This data set provides survey responses from Virtual Vocations members who stated that, at the time of the survey, they were employed but would prefer a different job. As with our data set on out-of-work parents, survey results for employed parents who would prefer a different job have been separated into the following categories:
- Demographics
- Workforce Experiences
- Remote Career Preferences
- Remote Job Search Habits
Demographics of Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job
Key Demographic Statistics for Working Parents Who Want a New Job
- Like those from the unemployed parents group, most respondents who are employed but would prefer a different job (63.79%) are from the Millennial generation.
- The majority of employed parents who want a different job are female (56.38%).
- 73.78% have earned a professional or advanced degree or certification.
- Half of employed parents who would prefer a different job (50.21%) are experienced professionals; meanwhile, 29.63% are managers or self-level managers with only 11.93% classifying themselves as entry-level professionals.
WHAT IS YOUR AGE RANGE?
WHAT IS YOUR GENDER?
WHAT IS YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION?
WHAT IS YOUR CAREER LEVEL?
Workforce Experiences of Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job
Key Workforce Experience Statistics for Working Parents Who Want a New Job
- The number one reason employed parents want a new job is that they want to work from home (22.13%).
- Additional reasons for preferring a different job include seeking schedule flexibility to have more control over how they spend their time (19.26%), needing to be at home with their children (17.21%) or desiring increased wages/better benefits (17.21%), and realizing that the COVID-19 pandemic inspired them to pursue better job options for themselves and their families (13.93%).
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS IS NEAREST TO YOUR PRIMARY REASON FOR WANTING A DIFFERENT JOB?
Remote Career Preferences of Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job
Key Remote Career Preferences for Working Parents Who Want a New Job
- These parents also cited the COVID-19 pandemic (44.44%) as the number one reason why they want to work remotely.
- The top remote career industries sought by employed parents who would prefer a different job are: information technology and customer service/tech support, which are tied at 9.54% favorability, followed by financial/accounting (7.47%), healthcare/medical (7.05%), and education/teaching and administrative/virtual assisting, which are tied at 6.22% favorability among respondents.
- 62.30% of employed parents who would prefer a different job want a full-time role, compared to only 50.00% of out-of-work parents who would prefer the same.
- 69.55% want a permanent position, compared to only 58.47% of out-of-work parents who would prefer a permanent role.
- Only 9.92% of respondents, who are the parent of at least one minor child who lives at home with them, do not want to talk on the phone for work; the rest (90.08%) would agree to make work calls from home, at least during certain times of day.
- The majority (56.97%) want to work morning hours, beginning around 8:00–9:00 a.m. or earlier; one-quarter (19.26%) need a completely flexible schedule.
- Working parents who want a new job are more open to business travel with 72.13% stating they would agree to periodic or annual work travel or attend on-site events; meanwhile, 27.87% of employed parents who would prefer a different job do not want to travel or appear on-site.
- When working from home, or once they secure a remote job, the top childcare plan among working parents who want a new job is to work while their child/ren attend in-person school (38.27%); only 7.41% plan to utilize daycare services provided outside of their home.
WHICH OF THESE OPTIONS BEST DESCRIBES WHY YOU WANT TO WORK REMOTELY?
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING REMOTE CAREER INDUSTRIES WOULD BE IDEAL FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE AND FUTURE PLANS?
DO YOU WANT TO WORK ON A FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME BASIS?
WHAT TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS DO YOU NEED FROM A REMOTE JOB?
Considering you are a parent of minor children, think about your home-based work environment. ARE REMOTE JOBS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO BE ON THE PHONE OKAY WITH YOU?
GENERALLY, WHAT TIME WOULD YOU PREFER TO WORK?
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TRAVELING FOR WORK OR APPEARING ON-SITE FOR TRAINING AND EVENTS?
WHILE WORKING FROM HOME, WHAT ARE YOUR CHILDCARE PLANS? (If you do not currently work remotely, please answer with what you plan to do once you secure a remote job.)
Remote Job Search Habits of Employed Parents Who Would Prefer a Different Job
Key Remote Job Search Habits Statistics for Working Parents Who Want a New Job
- Within the last month, 47.13% of these parents have found at least one job that fits their career interests.
- More than a fifth of respondents (21.31%) have found no jobs that suit their needs, and another 3.28% said they are not actively searching for available positions.
- Preferred job search methods vary among employed parents who would prefer a different job; the most popular method was a general web search via Google or a similar search engine (33.75%).
- Only 2.92% utilize the services of staffing agencies or head hunters.
DURING YOUR JOB SEARCH OVER THE LAST MONTH, HOW MANY JOBS DID YOU FIND THAT FIT YOUR CAREER INTERESTS?
WHEN JOB HUNTING, WHAT IS YOUR MAIN SEARCH METHOD?
About Virtual Vocations
Virtual Vocations, Inc., founded in 2007, is a private, family-owned, and 100% distributed company. Co-founded by CEO Laura Spawn and her brother, CTO Adam Stevenson, Virtual Vocations is dedicated to connecting jobseekers with legitimate remote job openings that have been screened to ensure the highest quality standards. To date, Virtual Vocations has helped more than four million jobseekers find flexible, remote work options.
In addition to managing and curating a database that, at any given time, houses more than 30,000 current, hand-screened remote job openings, Virtual Vocations offers jobseekers a number of tools to aid in their job searches, including exclusive, self-paced e-courses, career guides for popular virtual job industries, downloadable worksheets, job coaching, and resume and cover letter writing services. Virtual Vocations also releases multiple data-driven reports each year on current trends in remote work.
Inquiries about “Parent Remote Job Search Survey Results 2021” report can be made to Michelle Rawlings, Public Relations Specialist, at michelle (at) virtualvocations (dot) com or via phone at 1-800-379-5092, ext. 703. Please visit Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest for additional remote work content and conversations.
Image credits: Kimberly Back; Canva
