The number of Americans working from home has reportedly fallen to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fewer than 26 percent of U.S. households still have someone working remotely at least one day a week, a major decline from 2021 when the number reached 37 percent. According to a couple Census Bureau Household Pulse surveys, only seven states and Washington, DC, have remote work at a rate above 33 percent.
When it comes to remote work, the numbers may say one thing, but actions certainly spell something else. While fewer than 26% of U.S. households still have someone working remotely at least one day a week, results vary https://t.co/CJxmLlBtE6 @zacflemng #work #remote #workforce
— Albert Fong (@albertfong98) October 16, 2023
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The fall in proportion of Americans working from come comes amid a continued return-to-office drive from companies creating a dent.
Some studies have suggested that people who work from home are less productive because of distractions including household chores, children, etc. However, some argue that working remotely or in a hybrid format means they are able to have more of a work-life balance.
Firms have cited in-person collaboration as the “main driver” behind the push, however, analysts have pointed to remote work’s negative impact on commercial real estate and urban businesses.
Dropbox CEO Drew Houston recently told Fortune that his company, which describes itself as “remote-first,” dedicates 90% of the year to remote work and the remaining 10% to employee off-site events.
“If you trust people and treat them like adults, they’ll behave like adults,” Houston told Fortune. “Trust over surveillance.”
The Census data also underlines that employees’ demand for remote jobs is rising past the companies offering them. Out of 157 of the largest metro areas in the U.S., more than half of job applications were for fully remote or hybrid roles in August, according to Bloomberg reports.
Data shows remote workers are likely to be college-educated, in higher-income brackets or willing to take a pay cut if it means avoiding being in the office.
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