Marvin OnumonuRemote work demand in the UK rose sharply in the first half of 2025, but job postings fell, research from Jooble found.
Searches for remote jobs were up 20% compared to late 2024 and more than 140% higher than the same period in 2023.
At the same time, remote job ads dropped by over 41% from early 2024 levels, and by more than half compared to 2023.
Interest in remote roles was highest at the start of the year, but the number of jobs on offer did not keep up.
London saw the greatest demand and most listings, while cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds also saw high search numbers, but not enough jobs to match.
In places like Bolton, there were plenty of remote job ads but fewer local searches.
Smaller towns, including Ashton-under-Lyne and Altrincham, posted remote jobs but got little attention from jobseekers.
Jooble’s regional data showed gaps between where jobs are posted and where people look for them.
The pattern was clear, with high demand in some cities with few jobs, and towns with jobs but not enough people searching.
IT made up about a third of all remote job ads in early 2025.
Meanwhile, management, sales, and marketing roles also featured strongly, with legal jobs making up a growing share.
Remote work was mainly limited to digital, commercial, and analytical roles, with less flexibility for hands-on jobs.
Hybrid jobs saw increased interest among both jobseekers and employers.
Searches for hybrid roles jumped by 160% from late 2024 to early 2025 before settling but still staying above 2024 levels.
Employers increased hybrid job ads by over 70% between January and April, and numbers stayed above previous years even after a dip in May and June.
Alisa Lagovska, recruitment team leader at Jooble, said: “The hybrid model is no longer a compromise – it’s a strategic response to balancing employee autonomy with business effectiveness.
“It helps maintain team cohesion, accelerates decision-making, and strengthens company culture – not through rigid control, but through trust and structure.
“That’s why more and more organisations are adopting two-to-three-day office patterns, especially in teams where cross-functional collaboration and joint decision-making are essential.”
