Looking for Flexible Work in 2016? Try One of These 5 Job Categories:

That's not a valid work email account. Please enter your work email (e.g. you@yourcompany.com)
Please enter your work email
(e.g. you@yourcompany.com)

car

Flexible work, remote positions, and telecommuting arrangements are proliferating across industries, but according to FlexJobs, five job categories in particular are experiencing particularly quick growth in terms of flex work:

  1. Government and Politics
  2. Engineering
  3. Project Management
  4. Communications
  5. Travel and Hospitality

According to FlexJobs’ analysis, each of these categories saw more than 50 percent growth in the number of flexible job listings between July 2015 and June 2016.

Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist at FlexJobs, says that these five categories are “all career fields where the work being done really lends itself to flexible work options.”

“A lot of the work being done in jobs in government, project management, engineering, communications, and travel/hospitality is done with remote-friendly technology — over phone, email, and online,” Reynolds adds.

While companies in these categories have been utilizing flexible work options for years, Reynolds notes that the U.S. government has been particularly enthusiastic in championing flexible work. 

“The federal government has made a big push to encourage its staffers to telecommute more often, and I think we’re seeing that come through in its hiring practices as well,” Reynolds says.

And it doesn’t look like the flexible work boom in these categories will slow down any time soon.

“I think the growth will continue because these career fields are such a good match for flexible work options,” Renyolds says. “As flexible work hits the mainstream with 80 percent of companies offering it, these career fields are already well-positioned to expand further.”

FlexJobs, which has been monitoring the world of flexible work for years now, wasn’t terribly surprised by the results of this analysis, though Reynolds does say that at least one of the job categories that made this list was slightly unexpected.

“One that was a bit surprising was travel and hospitality, but as the economy continues to strengthen and more people are able to take trips (both for leisure and for business travel), it does make sense that this area is growing,” Reynolds says. “In corporate travel, we especially see increased flexible work opportunities in support roles like travel counselor.”

So, if 2016 is the year you decide to take the plunge into flexible work, you may want to start by looking for openings in one of these categories.

By Matthew Kosinski