In economically troubled times - such as during the global financial crisis - an uptick in searches for these types of working arrangements may reflect the difficulty workers have finding full-time employment. In other situations, people may be looking for a flexible opportunity to balance work with other responsibilities. Perhaps they are seeking extra income or cannot work full time due to family circumstances.
There is a common assumption that part-time and remote work tends to be low paying, low skill work. But a closer look at the language of search suggests that flexibility is taking on a new meaning.
In fact, Indeed data shows that over half of the top 50 keywords associated with searches for flexible work are related to high-skill jobs - and not only that, but many of these are in the tech and healthcare fields where talent is scarce.