January job-hunters in Devon face new challenges as remote roles tighten - but workers are pushing back against inflexible office returns

As January prompts millions of Britons to rethink their careers, rural job-hunters in Devon may be entering a more competitive market. While flexible work has helped countryside communities thrive, the number of fully remote roles is falling - just as employees nationwide are making it clear they won’t accept rigid, full-time office mandates.

New analysis from rural broadband provider Airband shows that while employers are scaling back remote options, workers are pushing firmly in the opposite direction. Nationally, 58% of employees say they would quit or start job-hunting if required to return to the office full-time1, and 43% would reject a job offer outright2 if it lacked flexibility. Companies enforcing return-to-office rules have also taken 23% longer to fill vacancies3, highlighting the growing mismatch between what employers offer and what workers want.

This shift is particularly significant in rural regions such as Devon where remote work has fuelled a “rural renaissance” in recent years. 42% of Devon residents now work from home4 - and one in five say they moved to Devon because flexible working made it possible. The result has been an influx of new talent and spending that has bolstered local economies and supported community life.

January remains the busiest month for career changes, with one in ten adults actively job hunting, and platforms like Glassdoor seeing a 55% spike in profile activity6. But this year’s surge comes as fully remote job adverts have fallen from 5.8% to 4.4%5, and 64% of employers say future vacancies will not offer a fully remote option7.

Airband warns that while this tightening of flexible roles presents challenges, rural communities with their high rates of homeworking will be a key part of how the UK workforce responds.

James Hyland, Marketing Director from Airband said: “Rural communities have rebuilt themselves around flexible and remote work, and we’re seeing firsthand how powerful that can be. At Airband, even though we’re proudly Worcestershire-based, our own team is spread right across the regions we serve, with many colleagues living and working in semi-rural communities themselves. Flexible working isn’t just a policy for us, it’s what allows us to hire locally, retain talent, and keep skilled people rooted in the communities that need them.”

As more employers tighten office-attendance rules, our concern is that rural workers may once again be excluded from the opportunities they’ve finally been able to access. The data shows workers are rejecting inflexible roles, and we believe that will be a defining challenge in this year’s job market. Going back to the office full-time simply won’t work for everyone, and it risks undoing the economic and social gains rural areas have made during the flexible-working boom.’