5 Coworking Trends

Person gesturing in front of a laptop.

We’re five years removed from the start of the pandemic and the explosion of remote working, which sparked new interest in coworking. But with President Donald Trump and the federal government shutting down remote work, and a number of corporations doing the same—from Amazon to Dell—what’s ahead for coworking? We look at five trends in coworking.

Hybrid vs. In-Person

But first, don’t completely discount a hybrid approach to work. Despite claims that no one is doing work, actual research shows little difference:

  • A six-month study found “no differences in productivity, performance review grade, or promotion.” 

  • In fact, the study showed a slight edge for hybrid work vs. in office, with increased job satisfaction and quit rates down by a third for hybrid work. 

  • While managers expected hybrid to be less productive, it actually improved productivity by 1%.

1. Continued Growth

An industry report from last year shows modest growth in nationwide coworking inventory, though Minneapolis-St. Paul saw a modest decrease.

Overall, coworking continues to boom. In 2018, only 2.5% of commercial office real estate was classified as flexible. But a recent report by JLL says 30% of office space will be flexible by 2030. 

2. Flexibility

“I predict that flexibility will remain key in 2025,” said WeWork Vice President and Head of USC Sales Luke Robinson in a story for Commercial Property Executive. “This year’s return-to-office mandates have shown that companies see the office as critical to their success, but they have not made final decisions on how many days they will be in person.”

The flexibility of coworking continues to be vital, not just in spite of the in-person mandates, but maybe because of it. Office trends are changing quickly, sometimes whipping back and forth. In that environment, flexibility wins.

3. Normalized

“It’s become less of a movement and more of a sector,” said Beahive coworking founder Scott Tillett in a Times Union article.

The flexibility that coworking offers is becoming normalized as workers see the value in working wherever they want. 

“Last year, there was so much talk about the likes of Amazon and Elon forcing employees back to the office,” said Lucy McInally, writing about normalizing working anywhere on her Inclusive Coworker blog. “Yes, IRL connections matter, but most of us simply require internet connectivity to do our jobs, so why can’t we work from the gym, or the cafe down the road, or travel while we work from time to time?”

4. Corporate Coworking

Coworking isn’t just for lonely freelancers anymore. Earlier this year, Marketplace reported that more corporations are investing in coworking. Allstate announced late last year that it’s offering coworking for 25% of its 54,000 employees.

It makes sense as corporations are reluctant to commit to 10-year leases, but a short-term coworking arrangement is cheaper and more flexible.

5. Why? Entrepreneurship

So why is coworking continuing to grow? Simple: Entrepreneurship. The U.S. averaged 430,000 new business applications per month in 2024, 50% more than in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

People are launching new businesses. As they grow, they need a flexible place to work. Coworking has always been an incubator for innovation, and that’s only going to continue.

Cowork at Evolve

Get work done at Evolve Workplace, a coworking space located just minutes from downtown St. Paul. With convenient parking and nearby amenities, Evolve has everything you need without breaking the bank.

David Lundy