Despite the growing trend of companies calling employees back to the office, the digital nomad lifestyle continues to flourish. A report by MBO Partners reveals that 17.3 million American workers identify as digital nomads, accounting for about 11% of the U.S. workforce. Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of digital nomads has tripled, marking a 131% growth from 2019 to 2022. Gen Z is at the forefront of this movement, with a higher inclination towards nomadism than any other age group.
The trend correlates with increased worker satisfaction; 80% of digital nomads express high contentment with their work, compared to 59% of non-nomads. Furthermore, 82% of digital nomads are satisfied with their income, influenced by the ability to reduce living costs through “geoarbitrage.” The report also indicates that while 80% of American remote workers frequent the office at least twice a week, the number of traditional workers adopting the digital nomad lifestyle has tripled since 2019. The younger generation, especially Gen Z, values mobility, with 58% of digital nomads belonging to either Gen Z or the millennial cohort. The article concludes that the shift towards digital nomadism reflects a broader societal trend towards flexibility and distrust in traditional structures.