Amid a rising desire for more freedom, 60% of employees across all levels and ages wish to work as digital nomads for up to 12 months in the next one to three years. However, three out of four young professionals voiced concerns about how hybrid work would affect their career progression, according to 2022 Future of Work survey released by Aquent.

Aquent defines digital nomads as those who entirely work remotely while traveling to various locations of their choosing, often including international travel for extended periods.

The report also found that global location flexibility is the most important policy digital nomad-hopefuls look for in a company, followed by formal contract, paid insurance, integrated workforce, established working hours, data security, tax guidance and paid workers’ compensation.

“No matter how you slice it, the unyielding popularity of remote work means that it is here to stay,” Aquent senior VP and industry leader for technology, media and entertainment Phil Lewis said. “Remote work empowers organizations to increase their ability to operate across multiple time zones, tap into skilled talent worldwide and access a more diverse talent pool.”

Other findings:

• 73% of workers said full flexibility, including the ability to choose on-site, remote or hybrid work, contributes the most to work-life balance, followed by flexible hours, a four-day workweek, unlimited vacation and annual office shutdown period(s).
• Among different age groups, 77% of workers between 18 to 24 are concerned that hybrid work will restrict their career progression, while 61% of workers between 25 to 40, 56% of those ages 41 to 55, and 54% of those 56 or older share the same concern.

The survey was conducted by Aquent and Vitamin T from June to July and includes responses from 3,484 workers in the marketing, creative and design fields.