The trend of working from home in the U.S. has seen a significant decline, dropping to its lowest point since the spring of 2020. According to the latest data from WFH Research, employees worked only 26.6% of their full paid days from home in May, indicating a shift towards returning to the office. However, working from home still remains prevalent in several white-collar industries.
Remote work in the U.S. has decreased from its peak during the pandemic, with only 26.6% of paid workdays in May being done from home, compared to around 60% at the height of the pandemic. Full-time employees in different sectors also vary in their work arrangements, with 13% being fully remote, 26% working in a hybrid model, and 62% working fully on-site.
Industries such as information and technology and finance and insurance lead in work-from-home arrangements, with the highest share of remote workdays per week. On the other hand, industries like retail and hospitality have lower work-from-home rates due to the nature of their work requiring physical presence to engage with consumers or specialized equipment.
A study by WFH Research found that workers in their 50s and 60s are more likely to work fully on-site compared to younger workers. Additionally, companies founded in 2020 have the highest share of remote workdays, due to their digital-first nature, while firms created before or after then show lower work-from-home rates.
Certain metro areas in the U.S. have a dominant share of remote workdays, with Greater Los Angeles leading the way in remote work. The shift towards working from home has also impacted consumer behavior, with a surge in e-commerce spending above pre-pandemic levels, particularly in regions with high shares of remote and hybrid workers.
While remote work rates have declined since the peak of the pandemic, experts believe that it will rise again as technologies improve to make remote collaboration more effective. Advancements in technology are expected to be a key driver in enabling work-from-home arrangements, reducing the need for or benefits of in-person work in the longer term.
