A new study warns that the decline in remote job opportunities could push disabled people out of the workforce. The two-year research, led by Lancaster University, found that access to home working is vital for most disabled job seekers. More than 80% of participants in the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study said remote work was essential or very important when looking for a new role. Nearly half of respondents wanted to work fully from home, with disabled women and carers showing the strongest preference for full-time remote roles. The study highlights a mismatch between disabled workers’ needs and current employer trends. Many companies are reducing hybrid and remote options, even though these roles help disabled employees stay in work. Analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data showed a clear drop in fully remote positions. In 2024-25, only 4.3% of job listings were fully remote, down from 8.7% during the pandemic peak in 2020-21. Hybrid roles also grew more slowly. Only 13.5% of job vacancies offered hybrid work in 2024-25, indicating that progress in flexible work arrangements has stalled. Official employment figures show disabled people face higher unemployment rates. The Office for National Statistics reported that 9.2% of disabled people were unemployed in the three months to December, compared with 4.4% for non-disabled people. This translates to 547,000 unemployed disabled workers, an increase of 110,000 compared to the previous year. The Work Foundation, a think tank at Lancaster University that coordinated the study with Manchester Metropolitan University, said the rise in unemployment for disabled people is faster than for the general population. The study interviewed more than 1,200 disabled people, making it the largest UK research project on remote and hybrid work for disabled employees. Funding came from the Nuffield Foundation. Although remote and hybrid work remain more common than before the pandemic, the share of fully remote jobs has fallen. Disabled workers in fully remote roles reported significant health benefits. Sixty-four percent said remote work improved their physical health, compared with 31% who worked remotely less than half the time. Many respondents also wanted hybrid work. About a quarter sought to work from home four days a week, and 27% preferred three days or fewer. Only 1.6% said they no longer wanted to work from home. Vera, a healthcare employee in London in her 20s, said remote work allowed her to continue her job after stem cell treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). She explained that working from home helps her manage cognitive fatigue and maintain productivity, but she feels stuck because remote-only roles are limited. “These are realistically the only roles I can apply for if I want to keep working and progress in my career,” she said. Previous research by the Work Foundation and the MS Society found that 47% of people with MS prefer jobs requiring little or no travel. Lead researcher Paula Holland said that remote and hybrid work improves mental and physical health, work-life balance, and productivity for disabled workers. However, companies requiring employees to return to the office have sharply reduced remote-only opportunities. Holland warned that this trend could prevent some disabled people from returning to work or staying employed. “At a time when the government wants to get people working, access to suitable home-working roles can be the difference between working or not working,” she said. The issue has drawn attention from lawmakers. A recent House of Lords report urged ministers to prioritize remote and hybrid working to boost employment among disabled people. Experts argue that maintaining flexible work options is essential for creating inclusive workplaces and reducing barriers for disabled workers. As remote job opportunities decline, disabled employees face a growing risk of exclusion from the workforce. Advocates say that flexible working arrangements are not just beneficial but necessary to support employment, health, and career growth for millions of people across the UK.