Remote workers outnumber onsite workers in the US, UK, and among China’s highly-educated elite. Japan favors on-site employees due to its manufacturing focus, labor policies, and traditional work culture. Germany has similar factors to Japan’s, although has a near-equal blend of remote and onsite workers, in part a reflection of the country’s growing openness and eagerness to compete more strongly in the world economy. In the US, aspirations towards being technologically advanced, expense of commercial operations, service-oriented industries, and openness to change have combined such that more Americans work remotely than in person. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1201_remo] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Home PCs: the unsung heroes of remote work
Home PCs: the unsung heroes of remote work – Getting things done for work from home often demands using a computer. Activities from Webex or Zoom group meetings to creating presentations or reports benefit from using the larger screens of most computers. However, employers have been slow in providing PCs to remote employees. Just as they wavered in their commitment to supporting workers working from home, they’ve vacillated in their policies around providing technology to remote workers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of workers who use a home computer for work-related activities. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1111_hwrk] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Households; Activities; Work/Life Balance
US, UK, and China workers eye continued remote work, less so in Japan
US, UK, and China workers eye continued remote work, less so in Japan – Remote work persists, especially if employees are correct. Many employees expect to be working from home in a year at least some of the time. Following the onset of the Covid pandemic, many employees started working from home for the first time.
Among online workers in the US and UK, more than half expect to be working from home occasionally or more often. In Japan, the rate is lower. Among highly educated elite online adults in China, the expectation rate is much higher.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentages of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China who expect to be working from home in one year, and how often they expect to work from home: never, occasionally, once a week, a few times a week, the majority of the time, or always. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1105_nwfh] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Which Countries Lead in Remote Work Adoption?
The pandemic introduced a major shift in how employees work in addition to where they work. Although the quick response was necessary to maintain public health, some employers have sought to return remote employees to their workplace settings. Other employers have recognized the improved efficiency, productivity, and health of their employees, and have adapted to remote or hybrid work arrangements as part of their ongoing best practices. Many employees have found life-affirming benefits from even occasional remote work which has added to their resistance in returning to previous workplace-oriented practices. They report enjoying many benefits: reduced commuting times and expense, less time on work-appropriate wear, less time in meetings, as well as personal benefits such as managing family care. Also, many remote workers have already set up their remote working environment, many outfitted with computers, webcams, printers, and display monitors. They may be reticent to return to their workplace where employer-provided computers may not be as new as the ones employees are using at home.
This MetaFAQs reports on a vital statistic: the percentage and number of online adults that work remotely by country and also how often they do or do not work remotely. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1005_amwf] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
Adulting Millennials prioritize computers
As Millennials transition into adulthood “aka adulting” they have moved from their pioneering smartphone focus and shifted more of their attention towards personal computers. At present, they spend more hours on PCs than any other age generation. One primary reason for this shift is the prevalent use of PCs for work-related activities. But it’s not just about work; their technological expertise, honed over years, plays a significant role. Millennials possess a unique mastery of modern technology, making them device-agnostic. They prioritize functionality over device type loyalty. Furthermore, their preference for larger screens makes PCs an ideal choice. These devices offer bigger displays and multitasking capabilities, which often surpass those of smartphones or tablets, especially for collaboration and web-based meetings. This MetaFAQs reports the number the weekly hours each age generation – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers/Silent – uses a computer. Report [TUP_doc_2023_0927_mill] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile
Modern communication shifts to coalesce around three modes
Communication methods have evolved over the past few decades. While landlines were once predominant, they’ve now taken a backseat. Asynchronous communication, like email, offers the advantage of connecting without simultaneous availability, often more convenient and effective. Text messaging, in particular, has experienced a significant rise, now standing as a leading communication method alongside emails.
Interestingly, while smartphones are labeled “phones,” their initial use leaned more toward texting than calling. However, synchronous communication methods are making a comeback on these devices. Email, text messaging, and phone calls share nearly equal user numbers, showcasing varied preferences among users.
Meanwhile, group communication methods from shared platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack to video meetings hosted by Zoom and Webex have primarily met acceptance among a selected market subset.
Our communication choices often depend on reciprocation, given its two-way nature. As a result, user groups may flock together toward specific communication modes, either adopting new methods or moving away from older ones.
These trends offer invaluable insights for telecom companies, handset manufacturers, and those aiming to understand or influence consumer behaviors. The TUP data provides detailed information about communication preferences across different countries and generations, highlighting the frequency of use for email, text messaging, and phone calls among similar cohorts.
Printer activity in US, Germany, UK, Japan, China
Printing continues to be a routine task for a significant portion of online adults, encompassing activities such as printing documents, web pages, reports, presentations, personal records, and even recipes. However, it’s important to note that not all online adults are actively engaged in this practice. The extent of printer usage varies considerably from one country to another, and this variation carries substantial implications for both printer manufacturers and the suppliers of consumables like ink, toner, and paper.
To provide valuable insights into this aspect, we present the TUP 2023 table 410 PRxCOUNTRY, which offers a comprehensive overview of printer usage among online adults in five key markets: the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. This data encompasses the percentage of individuals in each country who have utilized a printer in the preceding 90 days, along with detailed information on the number of printers they have employed.
This data not only sheds light on the current state of printer engagement but also serves as a valuable resource for technology marketers, researchers, analysts, and professionals seeking to understand and capitalize on these trends within the global technology landscape.
Trend in weekly hours with connected devices
In 2020, COVID-19 and related shutdowns drove up the average number of hours spent on devices around the world. Average device usage has been on a downward trend ever since. Despite this, we continue to see a strong long-term trend of 40-60 hours per week of usage. This MetaFAQs considers how frequently Americans and global device users use their PCs, smartphones, and tablets. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0827_hour] in TUP Lenses: Devices, PCs, Mobile Phones, Tablets.
Highlights: PCs
PCs continue to hold a central role among online adults, especially as a substantial number work from home or find ways to stay connected. However, PC users are not all the same in the type of PC they use nor how they use them. This TUP Highlights report details the shifting market penetration of PCs, how ownership has changed, and which brands are leading. It details how often PCs are being used as well as how they are being used for everything from remote work to communication, shopping, and entertainment.
Communication TUP Lens Highlights
During the pandemic, employees suddenly working from home accelerated their use of videoconferencing, home computers, and other connected devices. Similarly, those not employed outside the home sought ways to stay connected with others or help their students continue their education. Communication activities ranging from videoconferencing to video calls, email, group chats, and text messaging are at the heart of these connections. Market adoption has not been assured nor evenly distributed, as only some segments adopted behaviors they continued. Meanwhile, other segments dallied with new communication methods and then returned to their old ways.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: communication activities by device type, communication activities among those working from home, devices used for work-related communication, and top communication activities.