Working From Home Is Here To Stay, According to New Government Data

(NewsReady.com) – As technology has advanced, Americans have moved toward a more flexible work schedule. Working from home has become a reality for millions of people. New data shows just how prevalent it is.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). According to the findings, 35% of the individuals employed in the US did some or all of their work remotely in 2023. Seventy-three percent (73%) of workers went to their workplace to perform the duties of their jobs. The percentage of employees who worked from home didn’t change much from 2022, when it was about 34%. However, there was a significant increase from 2019, when only 24% of workers were able to perform their jobs remotely.

That indicates that remote and hybrid work arrangements have become a normal part of the working world. About a third of Americans are finally getting flexible schedules. A FlexJobs study found that 65% of people said they were seeking full-time remote positions. While employers are more open to the idea, some are still hesitant and believe that trying to get people back into the office post-pandemic is going more slowly than they’d like.

The survey found that individuals who worked from home only worked an average of 5.1 hours. Meanwhile, those who went to their workplace clocked 7.9 hours.

Individuals with higher levels of education were more likely to work from home than those who didn’t have much education. For example, 52% of the employed people who worked from home and who were over the age of 25 had a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s compared to 22% who only had a high school diploma.

The survey also found that most Americans worked during the week. Approximately, 80% of employed people worked on weekdays, compared to 28% who worked a weekend day. People who worked on the weekend were more likely to have lower levels of education.

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