Using Remote Work to Solve the Talent Crisis Webinar

Remote work is here to stay, and it’s changing hiring for everyone. 

As millions of workers have adapted to flexible work and millions of new remote jobs have been posted, the future of work is global. Everyone needs every possible edge to succeed in the modern labor market, and an international workforce can provide it. 

Our new research report, “The Global Skills Marketplace,” dives deep into the data behind how remote work unlocks new possibilities for every kind of organization.

With over 150 million workers currently in roles that are highly suitable for remote work, this new approach has tremendous potential reach. The question is how to take advantage of it. 

During the webinar, report authors Layla O’Kane from Lightcast, Lisa Simon from Revelio Labs, and labor market expert Liliana Olarte from IFC broke down down how the research provides a roadmap to the future, and how new strategies can maximize the benefits of remote talent. Some highlights included that:

• Remote work has become an established part of hiring strategy.
  In the US, employer demand for remote work has increased almost 400%
  since 2016, with over 3.5 million remote job postings listed in 2022. And the trend is happening all across the globe.

• Regions are looking in nearby time zones for remote workers. Region pairs with the highest increase in remote workers from 2020 to 2023 include Sub-Saharan Africa with Southern Europe, and North America with Central America and the Caribbean.

• Artificial Intelligence (especially generative AI) will be a role-augmenting tech advancement, versus one that is role-replacing.

• Worldwide, 153 million people have jobs in roles highly suitable for remote work—but only 18% are actually remote.

Still need a copy of The Global Skills Marketplace? Get it here.

About the Speakers:

Lisa K. Simon is a Senior Economist at Revelio Labs, where she co-leads the Economics and Customer Success Teams. Her role includes analyzing Revelio’s treasure trove of labor market data, uncovering insights about workforce trends, and helping clients leverage workforce data to their advantage. Previously, she was a researcher at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was applying causal inference methods using machine learning to questions in labor and education economics. Her research has focused on the impact of structural change on labor markets, the future of work in general, and how individuals can adapt to changing labor markets. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Munich in Germany and has worked at the ifo Institute, Germany’s top economic policy and research institute , as well as the OECD and the European Parliament.

Liliana Olarte is a seasoned specialist in impact measurement of private sector investments. She is currently an Economist at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) where she assesses and measures the development impact of investments in disruptive technology startups and venture capital funds. Prior to joining the IFC, she worked at TPG’s Rise Fund, the largest impact fund worldwide, where she led the development and implementation of the impact framework for EdTech and FinTech investments. Previously, Liliana also worked at IDB Invest and The World Bank.  Liliana holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia and a Master in Public Administration in International Development (MPA/ID) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Layla O’Kane is a Research Director on the Economics team at Lightcast, where she manages projects that use labor market analytics to further public policy.Prior to joining Lightcast, Layla was a Data Analytics Consultant at the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, helping Boston area employers work towards closing the gender wage gap. Layla has previous experience using behavioral economics to increase gender inclusion in hiring and promotions for local governments and international organizations. She has also worked in economic consulting with a focus on labor and antitrust litigation and merger review. Layla holds a BA in Economics and in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPA in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School.