In five years almost 75% of the US workforce will be mobile, according to IDC. That means by 2020 the number of workers using mobile devices to do their work will grow from 96.2 million to 105.4 million. The study takes into account two categories of mobile workers: those that work in a corporate or home office; and those that work in the field (the latter accounts for two-thirds of the mobile worker population).
The biggest mobile worker populations encompass manufacturing, construction, retail, and healthcare. The largest segment of those is healthcare workers who account for 18% of the total US mobile worker population.
So what’s driving all of this? IDC says lower pricing on smartphones and tablets and the continued growth of the BYOD (bring your own device) trend. Not to mention better broadband and technology capabilities, including wearables, biometric readers, voice control, and near-field communications.
If IDC’s predictions are right, more employees will spend less time in the workplace. But this could ultimately be a boon for employers as productivity is shown to improve as communications become that much more efficient.
How does being a mobile worker make you more productive?
By the CEL-FI Team