Hybrid and remote work is alive and well in Ramsey County

In Ramsey County, MN, as across the nation, the pandemic changed how and where work gets done. Remote work became a necessity of industry, and hybrid work became a balance of opportunity as the nation’s workforce returned to the new normal post-pandemic. Even amidst headlines of return-to-office mandates, Gallup tells employers and workers alike that hybrid and remote work is here to stay.

Earlier this year, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions (RCWS) hosted Erin Olson, Senior Director of Strategic Research at RealTime Talent, for a webinar entitled, Top Trends to Watch in Ramsey County’s Workforce Landscape which, in part, investigated the presence and influence of hybrid and remote work in Ramsey County.

Hybrid/remote work in Minnesota versus the national average

Locally and across the country, the volume of hybrid and remote job postings has increased since the pandemic. But to what degree?

In their September update on current remote work and statistics trends for 2025, consulting firm Robert Half found that “24% of new job postings in the second quarter 2025 were hybrid and 12% were fully remote” across the country. Over a third of Q2’s job postings were listed as hybrid or fully remote.

By comparison, according to data produced by RealTime Talent for RCWS, only 20% of the state’s 2024 job postings were either hybrid or fully remote: 12% hybrid, 8% fully remote. While the post-pandemic trend of increased hybrid and remote work has affected Minnesota’s job landscape as well, the trend has had less of an impact relative to the rest of the nation.

Hybrid/remote work in Ramsey County

Both Saint Paul and the rest of Ramsey County arrive much closer to Robert Half’s reported national average. In Saint Paul, 27% of 2024’s job postings were listed as hybrid, with another 7% as fully remote. In Ramsey County, 23% of last year’s job postings were hybrid, with a same 7% as fully remote. Combined, these numbers are just two and six points shy of the hybrid/remote average, respectively.

“This is not a temporary thing,” says Olson. “The status quo for how work gets done and where work gets done has shifted fundamentally over the last three to four years.”

Equity in access

While hybrid and remote work opportunities expand, it is essential to recognize that not all Ramsey County residents are equally positioned to take advantage of them.

“While hybrid and remote work opportunities are growing, not all residents are equally positioned to take advantage of them,” Olson said. “Many individuals in Ramsey County, particularly those in low-income households, older adults, or immigrant communities, face barriers such as limited access to reliable internet, devices, or digital skills.”

These gaps highlight the importance of continued investment in digital inclusion efforts, such as affordable broadband access, technology lending programs, and digital literacy training, to ensure all residents can participate fully in the evolving economy. Addressing these inequities will be critical for Ramsey County’s long-term workforce resilience and opportunity growth.

Ramsey County’s most common industries for remote work

Two industries stand out among Ramsey County’s hybrid and remote job opportunities: information technology and human services. In both industries, the majority of job postings are listed as either hybrid or remote in both the city of Saint Paul and Ramsey County as a whole. Below are the corresponding numbers for the industry and respective geographic areas.

Information Technology* 

• Saint Paul: 59%
• Ramsey County: 56%
• Suburban Ramsey County: 46%

Human Services*

• Saint Paul: 58%
• Ramsey County: 55%
• Suburban Ramsey County: 46%

Clarifying which industries are providing the most hybrid and/or remote opportunities is important. “What are the implications?” Olson asks. “How do we do career navigation, for instance, for students and job seekers looking to enter human services careers? What’s the importance of digital literacy? Internet access? Thinking about where and how work gets done becomes very, very important when we’re thinking that human services and business careers are increasingly done hybrid and fully remote in our communities.”

While employment trends across industries continue to bring new challenges and opportunities to Ramsey County, Workforce Solutions can offer assistance to employers and job seekers. Email us at employerservices@co.ramsey.mn.us today! Explore workforce demographics in Ramsey County here and sign up for the Workforce Innovation Board, Youth Works! and Job Seeker newsletters to learn more about workforce shifts in Ramsey County.

*SOURCE: RealTime Talent. TalentNeuron online job postings advertised annually. Accessed January 31, 2025.