The digital nomad movement is flying.

An extensive digital nomad study by Emergent Research and MBO Partners found the number of Americans describing themselves as nomads rose from 7.3 million in 2019 to 10.9 million in 2020—an increase of 49%, as reported in HBR.

It's predicted there will be one billion digital nomads by 2035 (Levels.io)

And what's interesting is that in 2020 it shifted from being freelancers and self-employed workers on the road to corporate nomads.

Traditional jobholders now make up a majority of those pursuing this nontraditional work lifestyle.

These are well-educated, digitally savvy people. Most are in high-demand tech-oriented jobs, happy in their work and committed to learning new skills.

Yet, because many companies don't have policies and programmes in place, many of these nomads are 'off grid' - doing it informally or not disclosing it, which is risky:

The laws and regulations that apply to a person’s work are generally based on the jurisdiction where the work is performed, even if the employer is located elsewhere.

So, what should companies do about these Covid nomads and wandering workers?

A new report by Littler has some ideas: https://bit.ly/3DAPdnX.

But the Emergent/MBO team say it's not enough. Companies need a long-term digital nomad policy to attract the best talent.

The WFA movement is growing, and we want the freedom to roam and grow for the short time we're on this beautiful planet🙏

Resources

👩‍💻I've joined Plumia.country, an online movement looking to resolve some of these issues and offer a global safety net for nomads (more on this tomorrow!)

📚Global Natives: The New Frontiers of Work, Travel & Innovation by Lauren Razavi

🗺Digital Nomad Study: https://bit.ly/3yARwDT