Remote jobs decline threatens disabled employment in UK, researchers have warned, saying fewer home-working opportunities could undermine government efforts to tackle rising unemployment. The two-year study found remote work remains a critical lifeline for many disabled jobseekers, even as employers scale back flexible working options.
More than eight in 10 working-age disabled respondents surveyed by Lancaster University researchers said access to home working was essential or very important when searching for a new role. The findings raise concerns that shrinking remote job availability may disproportionately exclude disabled people from the labour market.
Strong demand for full remote work
The Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study revealed that 46% of participants wanted to work remotely all the time. Disabled women and disabled carers were especially likely to prefer fully home-based roles.
The research highlights a widening mismatch between worker needs and employer policies. While demand for flexible arrangements remains high among disabled applicants, many organisations have been pushing staff back to offices following the pandemic shift to remote work.
Researchers warned this trend risks reversing gains made in workplace accessibility over the past five years.
Job data shows sharp fall in remote roles
Analysis of Adzuna vacancy data confirmed a significant drop in remote opportunities. In the 2024-25 financial year, just one in 23 job adverts (4.3%) offered fully remote work — roughly half the pandemic peak of 8.7% recorded in 2020-21.
Hybrid roles have also stalled. Only one in seven vacancies (13.5%) offered hybrid working in 2024-25, suggesting the rapid expansion of flexible work seen during Covid-19 has levelled off.
The report warned that without intervention, the decline could further widen employment gaps for disabled people.
Disabled unemployment rising faster
Official labour market figures reinforce the concern. Data covering the three months to December showed 9.2% of disabled people were unemployed — more than double the 4.4% average rate.
The Office for National Statistics reported 547,000 unemployed disabled people, up by 110,000 compared with the same period in 2024.
The Work Foundation, which coordinated the study with Manchester Metropolitan University, said unemployment has increased across the economy but is rising faster among disabled workers than among non-disabled groups.
Health and productivity benefits highlighted
The research — described as the UK’s largest study of disabled workers’ remote experiences — surveyed more than 1,200 participants and was funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
It found strong wellbeing benefits linked to home working. Among fully remote disabled workers, 64% said the arrangement improved their physical health, compared with 31% of those working remotely less than half the time.
Demand for hybrid working also remained substantial. About a quarter of respondents preferred working from home four days per week, while 27% favoured three days or fewer. Only 1.6% wanted to stop working remotely altogether.
Workers say remote roles are essential
One participant, Vera, a healthcare employee in her 20s based in London, said remote work enabled her to remain employed after undergoing stem cell treatment for multiple sclerosis.
“Remote work has made it possible for me to stay in employment — without it I couldn’t work,” she said.
She explained that working from home helps her manage cognitive fatigue and maintain productivity, but warned the shrinking pool of remote-only roles limits career progression.
A separate study by the Work Foundation and the MS Society found nearly half of people with multiple sclerosis seek jobs requiring little or no travel.
Policy pressure grows on government
Lead researcher Paula Holland said the expansion of remote and hybrid work since the pandemic has delivered major gains for disabled employees, including better mental health, improved work-life balance and higher productivity.
However, she warned that return-to-office mandates risk excluding workers who rely on flexibility to remain employed.
“At a time when the government wants to get people working, access to suitable home-working roles can be the difference between working or not working,” Holland said.
A recent House of Lords report has already urged ministers to prioritise remote and hybrid working as part of efforts to boost disabled employment.
Shifting workplace trends
Remote working surged during the Covid-19 pandemic, transforming expectations around workplace flexibility. However, many UK employers have since moved toward office-based models, citing collaboration and productivity concerns.
At the same time, the government has been seeking ways to reduce economic inactivity and raise employment among disabled people — a group that historically faces significant barriers to work.
Experts say the latest findings highlight a growing policy tension: efforts to bring workers back into offices may conflict with ambitions to create a more inclusive labour market.