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Happy Sunday, pals!

It’s January, so all the hottest future of work reports are dropping. Let’s get our 🤓 on and dive into some great data.

In today’s issue

• ⚡️ Lightning List - What I’m reading this week

• 🤖 Future of Jobs - Preview of the new World Economic Forum Report

• 🌴 Digital Nomads - Nomad’s 2025 State of Digital Nomads Report

• ⭐️ Community Spotlight - Flexa’s Evolution of Work Report

• 💰️ Sponsor - 1440 Media

⚡️ Lightning List ⚡️ 

🤖 Future of Jobs Report 📊 

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 just dropped, and it's packed with insights from over 1,000 leading employers representing more than 14 million workers. 

For a deeper dive into the report's AI implications, I highly recommend checking out Iwo Szapar's analysis in his "Work Smarter With AI" newsletter. As my fellow Co-Creator of the AI Maturity Index, Iwo offers sharp insights into what these trends mean for the future of work and AI adoption.

Stay tuned – next week I'll be bringing you my TLDR Davos recap, where I'll connect the dots between this report and the key conversations and trends emerging from the World Economic Forum's annual meeting. Get the crucial takeaways without having to wade through hours of panel discussions (you're welcome!).

💻️ 2025 State of Digital Nomads 🌴 

The digital nomad landscape has witnessed seismic shifts in recent months, most notably the dramatic collapse of Remote Year and Selina.

Not caught up on the drama? Here’s a TLDR of the past 7 years.

• 2015: Remote Year is founded, offering month-to-month travel and work programs for digital nomads

• 2020: Selina acquires Remote Year to bolster its co-working and co-living offerings

• Mid-2024: Selina faces financial difficulties and declares insolvency due to aggressive global expansion and heavy debt

• July 2024: Selina is delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange

• August 2024: Collective Hospitality acquires Remote Year as part of its purchase of Selina's distressed portfolio

• December 20, 2024: Remote Year notifies all current and future participants that they will be closing their business - stranding existing customers and stiffing vendors 🙃 

The tea? There are ongoing disputes about who is to blame or even owns RY as Remote Year CEO, Tue Le, and Collective Hospitality CEO, Gary Murray, are in a good ol’ finger-pointing match.

😊 The Changing Face of Digital Nomadism

According to Nomads’ comprehensive 2025 report, today's typical digital nomad might surprise you. They're 35 years old (unchanged from 2024), but their median income has held steady at $85,000 despite global economic pressures. What's particularly striking is the surge in CO₂ consciousness.

🔑 Key Shifts from 2024 to 2025

I reported on this last year so I still have an archive of the report (it has since been overwritten with the 2025 report).

Several shifts have emerged in the past year:

• Carbon Footprint: A dramatic spike in CO₂ emissions occurred in 2025, jumping to 4,583 kg/y compared to just 1,990 kg/y in 2024. This is a significant shift that might merit discussion, especially given the previous years' relatively stable numbers.

• Gender Dynamics: The gender gap has widened slightly, with men now comprising 92% of the nomad population, up from 89% in 2024. This unexpected shift raises questions about accessibility and inclusion in the nomad community.

• Work Patterns: Software development remains the top profession, but we're seeing a notable rise in startup founders (28% of male nomads in 2025, up from 27% in 2024) and creative professionals (13% of men and 15% of women).

• Destination Preferences: Tokyo has emerged as the most beloved city among nomads, while London maintains its position as the most visited city. Intriguingly, Eastern European cities like Warsaw and Prague have climbed significantly in popularity rankings.

💪 The Community's Resilience

The collapse of major nomad-focused hospitality platforms hasn't slowed the community's growth. Instead, we're seeing adaptation through:

• Increased use of traditional accommodation (59% work from home offices)

• Greater reliance on local coworking spaces (15% of nomads)

• Growing preference for longer stays in fewer locations (hello digital slowmads)

💻️ Tech Stack Evolution

Communication patterns have shifted subtly but meaningfully:

• Telegram continues to lead (48% usage)

• WhatsApp follows closely (42%)

• Traditional social platforms like Facebook have declined to just 2% usage

🔮 Looking Ahead: 2026 Predictions

1. Sustainability Focus: With nomads already demonstrating environmental consciousness, expect more eco-friendly travel patterns and longer stays to become the norm.

2. Skills Evolution: The rise in creative and founding roles suggests a move away from pure technical work. Expect more nomads to launch location-independent businesses.

3. Community Integration: As traditional nomad-focused businesses face challenges, we'll likely see more integration with local communities and infrastructure rather than nomad-specific solutions.

4. Regional Hubs: The rising popularity of cities like Warsaw and Tokyo indicates a trend toward regional hub cities that offer both affordability and high quality of life.

The digital nomad movement continues to mature beyond its initial hype phase. While the industry sees some consolidation, the community itself is growing more sustainable, professional, and integrated with local economies. The collapse of major platforms hasn't dampened the movement; instead, it's catalyzing a more resilient and diverse ecosystem.

⭐️ Community Spotlight ⭐️ 

Most of you already know Molly Johnson-Jones from her role as CEO & Co-Founder of Flexa. If you have been living under a rock, you can check out my post about Molly from International Women’s Month highlighting her impact on the future of work.

Flexa just released their Evolution of Work Report (2024-2025) this week and it’s full of so many great goodies.

• Breaking Barriers: Rethinking hiring for diversity and inclusion

• Mission Possible: Using purpose to create an irresistible EVP

• The Parent Trap: Supporting careers and families to thrive together

• Cultural DNA: Attracting aligned talent through your unique company identity

• Time & Space: Meeting the demand for flexibility in location and schedules

• Mind Matters More: Examining the increasing demand for mental health support in the workplace

• Beyond The Numbers: Humanising data to drive meaningful workplace change

Read the report and join the conversation on Molly’s LinkedIn post.

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That’s all for now, pals. See ya next week.

Eryn