Orange County’s ‘Now of Work’ Can Lead California’s Future of Work

In the Orange County Business Journal’s Leader Board, CEO Kate Duchene writes that Orange County has the right ingredients to help lead the Golden State’s future of work in a post-COVID-19 world. In addition to world-class universities, an excellent healthcare ecosystem, and thriving public and private companies, as well as support for start-ups and entrepreneurial businesses, OC has what’s needed to lead the growing trend of blended workforces and workplaces.

With 96% of employees saying they want more flexible work arrangements and nearly half of the US workforce projected to be doing freelance work by 2027, the future belongs to those companies best able to meet the needs of employees who no longer want to work in the 9-to-5 world of the past, and instead seek flexible, hybrid careers that best meet their skills and needs.

She cites the examples of several OC-based firms currently practicing remote work and already hiring more borderless talent to better fit business needs. She says OC’s example can be a benchmark for the rest of California and that other companies should follow suit in this growing trend.