Statistics · Updated October 30, 2026

Work From Home Statistics 2026

Includes BLS data for September 2026 and Census survey data for 2025

  • 73statistics
  • 38sources from 18 publishers
  • Checkedevery figure against its original source
  • FreeCSV download and ready-made citations

Compiled by the DeskRated research desk from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gallup, Pew Research Center and WFH Research data.

In 2025, 12.9% of U.S. workers usually worked from home, according to the Census Bureau. Count everyone who teleworked at least some hours in a week and the share was 21.9% in September 2026 (BLS). Below, the current figures from each source sit side by side, with what each one measures.

Download all data (CSV)Download CSV Cite this page

Key findings

  1. 12.9%

    In 2025, 12.9% of U.S. workers, about 21.3 million people, usually worked from home, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. That is down from 13.3% in 2024.

    U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801 · 2025 data

    Details
  2. 21.9%

    In September 2026, 21.9% of employed people who were at work, or 34.679 million people, teleworked or worked at home for pay at some point during the survey week.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey telework tables, September 2026, Table A-41 · September 2026 data

    Details
  3. 35%

    On days they worked in 2025, 35% of employed people did some or all of their work at home.

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2025 Results · 2025 data

    Details
  4. 26.82%

    In September 2026, 26.82% of full paid workdays in the U.S. were worked from home, according to the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes.

    WFH Research, SWAA monthly time series data file (Barrero, Bloom and Davis) · September 2026 data

    Details
  5. 17.9%

    The ACS work-from-home share peaked at 17.9% in 2021 and has fallen every year since, to 12.9% in 2025.

    U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-year estimates (America Counts story, January 2025; Commuting At A Glance, September 2025; Table S0801, 2025) · 2021 to 2025 data

    Details
  6. 62.7% / 25.5% / 11.7%

    Over October 2025 to September 2026, 62.7% of full-time U.S. employees worked fully on-site, 25.5% worked a hybrid schedule and 11.7% worked fully from home.

    WFH Research, Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (Barrero, Bloom, Buckman, Davis), SWAA October 2026 Updates, slide 10 · October 2025 to September 2026 data

    Details
  7. 18.8%

    Colorado leads all 50 states: 18.8% of its workers usually worked from home in 2025. Arizona (16.2%), Vermont (15.9%) and Washington (15.7%) follow, but their order is within the margin of error.

    U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801 (states) · 2025 data

    Details
  8. 46%

    Nearly half (46%) of workers with remote-capable jobs say they would be unlikely to stay at their job if their employer stopped allowing them to work from home, including 26% who would be very unlikely to stay.

    Pew Research Center, 'Many remote workers say they'd be likely to leave their job if they could no longer work from home' · October 2024 data

    Details
  9. One-third fewer quits

    In a randomized trial of 1,612 employees at Trip.com, letting staff work from home two days a week cut quit rates by one-third, with no effect on performance grades or promotions over the next two years.

    Bloom, Han and Liang, 'Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance', Nature 630 (2024) · 2021 to 2023 data

    Details
  10. 55%

    In 2025, 55% of U.S. employers provided at-home office equipment or subsidized its cost, with an average annual maximum reimbursement of $888.

    SHRM, 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, Executive Summary · 2025 data

    Details

How many Americans work from home?

There is no single number, because the official surveys ask different questions. The Census Bureau counts people whose main way of getting to work is working from home, while BLS counts anyone who did any work from home in a given week or day.

Share of U.S. workers who usually worked from home, ACS 1-year estimates (2020 omitted: the Census Bureau released only experimental 2020 1-year data)
  • 2019 5.7%
  • 2021 17.9%
  • 2022 15.2%
  • 2023 13.8%
  • 2024 13.3%
  • 2025 12.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, Table S0801 (2019 to 2023 values as published in Census Bureau story, January 2025; 2024 from Commuting At A Glance; 2025 from Table S0801, 2025 1-year estimates). Chart: DeskRated, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
20195.7%
202117.9%
202215.2%
202313.8%
202413.3%
202512.9%

Which number should you use? For how many people work from home most of the time, use the Census figure (12.9% in 2025). For anyone who teleworked at all in a given week, including hybrid workers, use the BLS telework rate (21.9% in September 2026). For how much work happens at home, use the SWAA share of workdays (26.82%). Gallup's shares cover only people in remote-capable jobs, about half the workforce.

The trend: 2019, the pandemic peak, and today

Working from home exploded in spring 2020, fell back through 2022, and has been roughly flat since 2023. Every major survey still puts today's level at well over double the pre-pandemic rate.

Percent of full paid workdays worked from home, U.S. (SWAA). 2019 value is based on the American Time Use Survey; September 2023 is an average of August and October. Points are not evenly spaced in time.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2019 7.2% 61.7% Sep 2020 Sep 2022 Sep 2024 Sep 2026 26.8% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2019 7.2% 61.7% Sep 2021 Sep 2026 26.8%

Source: WFH Research, SWAA monthly time series data file (Barrero, Bloom and Davis), series 'Work from Home Rate'. Chart: DeskRated, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
20197.2%
May 202061.7%
Sep 202044.4%
Sep 202132.6%
Sep 202229.1%
Sep 202329.4%
Sep 202427.6%
Sep 202526.6%
Sep 202626.8%

Hybrid vs. fully remote vs. on-site

Across all full-time employees, most still work fully on-site. Among people whose jobs can be done remotely, hybrid is the norm.

Working arrangements of full-time U.S. wage and salary employees, October 2025 to September 2026
  • Fully on-site 62.7%
  • Hybrid 25.5%
  • Fully remote 11.7%

Source: WFH Research, Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (Barrero, Bloom, Buckman, Davis), SWAA October 2026 Updates, slide 10. Chart: DeskRated, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
Fully on-site62.7%
Hybrid25.5%
Fully remote11.7%

Who works from home: education, income, occupation, industry, age and gender

Working from home is concentrated among college graduates, higher earners and office occupations. Women telework more than men, and workers under 25 rarely do.

Telework rate by occupation group, September 2026 (percent of people at work)
Occupation groupTeleworked (any hours)Teleworked all hoursTeleworked some hours
Computer and mathematical63.738.425.3
Business and financial operations53.827.826.0
Legal50.617.633.0
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media44.424.919.5
Management37.717.620.1
Architecture and engineering34.313.121.2
Sales and related24.311.412.8
Office and administrative support23.513.110.5
Education, training, and library13.03.49.6
Healthcare practitioners and technical12.25.17.1
Production4.72.81.9
Construction and extraction2.20.41.8
Transportation and material moving2.00.71.3
Food preparation and serving related1.40.50.9
All occupations21.910.711.2

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey telework tables, September 2026, Table A-42 (not seasonally adjusted)

Work from home by state and metro area

Remote work clusters in the Washington, D.C. area, the Mountain West and the Pacific Northwest. It is least common across the Deep South and the Plains.

Share of workers who usually worked from home, by state, 2025 (50 states and D.C., sorted high to low; margin of error at 90% confidence)
StateWorked from home (%)Margin of error (+/- pts)Workers 16 and over
District of Columbia22.71.8373,088
Colorado18.80.43,166,027
Arizona16.20.53,516,108
Vermont15.91.3336,494
Washington15.70.33,912,058
Florida15.50.211,128,119
North Carolina15.10.35,419,398
Oregon15.10.52,037,946
Utah14.90.51,794,708
Minnesota14.80.32,999,334
Georgia14.50.45,429,690
New Hampshire14.40.8757,025
Massachusetts14.20.43,687,781
Delaware14.01.1502,259
Virginia13.90.34,485,851
Maine13.70.8700,372
Maryland13.70.43,179,937
Pennsylvania13.60.36,342,083
California13.40.218,635,762
New Jersey13.00.34,828,177
Illinois12.90.36,269,691
Texas12.90.215,278,739
Idaho12.80.6959,066
Tennessee12.50.43,513,161
Connecticut12.40.51,857,031
Montana12.10.9561,953
South Carolina11.60.42,599,763
Wisconsin11.60.33,025,750
Wyoming11.61.3283,095
Missouri11.50.43,037,995
New York11.50.29,654,086
Rhode Island11.50.9568,214
Ohio11.30.35,753,655
Michigan11.10.34,755,644
Kansas10.20.51,490,389
Nevada10.10.61,605,977
New Mexico10.10.7955,432
Indiana9.80.43,352,659
South Dakota9.80.8475,348
Kentucky9.70.52,071,816
Iowa9.60.41,625,721
Nebraska8.90.51,044,976
Arkansas8.80.61,413,291
Oklahoma8.70.31,892,255
Alabama8.60.42,344,600
Hawaii8.60.6710,626
West Virginia8.20.5737,038
Louisiana7.40.42,064,063
Alaska7.10.7359,647
Mississippi6.50.51,293,969
North Dakota6.30.7426,586

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801

What workers want, and whether they would quit

Workers want more remote time than employers offer. A large minority say they would look for another job if remote work were taken away.

Productivity: what the research actually shows

The best evidence comes from randomized trials and firm records, not opinion surveys. Hybrid work tends to hold performance steady and cut quitting, while fully remote work has a more mixed record.

Commute time saved

Skipping the commute is the main time saving from working from home. Workers put a large share of that time back into their jobs.

Home office setup, equipment and ergonomics

Most remote workers spend several hours a day at a home workstation, and the quality of that setup shows up in health and productivity research. More than half of employers help pay for it.

Return-to-office mandates and office occupancy

Office attendance is creeping up but remains well below 2019. Mandates have tightened, yet most U.S. firms still offer some location flexibility.

Remote and hybrid job postings

Remote and hybrid roles are a small slice of new job ads, smaller than the share of people who already work from home. That gap is one reason remote jobs are so competitive.

Methodology

This page keeps four government and academic measures separate because they answer different questions. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) asks how a person usually got to work in the previous week; 'worked from home' counts people for whom home was the usual work location, so it mostly captures fully remote and mostly remote workers and undercounts hybrid workers. ACS 1-year estimates are annual, cover all workers 16 and over, and are the only source with reliable state and metro detail; the figures on this page are the 2025 1-year estimates, released October 29, 2026. The Census Bureau notes that the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations suspended ACS data collection for six weeks, which reduced the 2025 sample and widened margins of error for all estimates, so small year-to-year changes for states and metros should be read with their margins of error.

The BLS Current Population Survey (CPS) has asked since October 2022 whether people teleworked or worked at home for pay at any time in the reference week (the week containing the 12th), so it counts hybrid workers and anyone who worked a few hours at home; it is monthly, not seasonally adjusted, and October 2025 is missing because of the federal shutdown.

The BLS American Time Use Survey (ATUS) is a one-day time diary; its 'did some or all of their work at home on days they worked' measure counts any work done at home, including evening email by people whose workplace is an office, so it gives the highest figure. ATUS 2025 has no diaries for September 30 to November 11, 2025 because of the shutdown.

The Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (SWAA, WFH Research) is a monthly online survey of U.S. residents aged 20 to 64 who earned at least $10,000 in the prior year, reweighted to the CPS; it measures the share of full paid workdays (6 or more hours) worked from home, which is the best single gauge of how much work happens at home.

Gallup's figures cover only employees in remote-capable jobs (about half the workforce), so its 'exclusively remote' share should never be read as a share of all workers. Office occupancy sources are private: Kastle counts badge swipes in buildings it secures in 10 metros against a pre-pandemic baseline, and Placer.ai uses mobile location data. Job-posting shares from Indeed and Robert Half describe new ads, not the existing workforce.

Where DeskRated calculated a percentage from published Census counts (for example, the work-from-home share by earnings), the stat says so; all other figures are as published, at the source's precision.

Data current as of October 30, 2026. Census figures are from the 2025 ACS 1-year estimates released October 29, 2026. We will update this page as each monthly BLS and SWAA release comes out, and when the Census Bureau releases the 2026 ACS 1-year estimates.

Spot an error or a newer figure? Tell us and we will correct the page and note the change.

Cite this page

Free to quote, chart or link in articles, reports and coursework. Please credit the original source for each figure and link to this page as the compilation.

DeskRated. (2026, October 30). Work From Home Statistics 2026. https://deskrated.com/work-from-home-statistics/

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of Americans work from home?

It depends on the measure. The Census Bureau found that 12.9% of U.S. workers usually worked from home in 2025. The BLS found that 21.9% of people at work teleworked at least some hours in September 2026, with 10.7% teleworking all of their hours. The American Time Use Survey found that 35% of employed people did some work at home on days they worked in 2025.

How many people work from home in the U.S.?

About 21.3 million workers (21,288,393) usually worked from home in 2025, according to the American Community Survey. Counting anyone who teleworked during the week, the BLS put the number at 34.679 million in September 2026.

Why do work-from-home statistics disagree so much?

The surveys measure different things. The ACS records the usual way someone got to work last week, so it mostly captures people who are home most days. The CPS counts anyone who teleworked for any hours in the survey week, so it includes hybrid workers. SWAA reports the share of full paid workdays done from home (26.82% in September 2026), and Gallup reports shares only among people whose jobs can be done remotely.

Is remote work declining?

It fell sharply from the pandemic peak and has been mostly flat since 2023. The ACS share dropped from 17.9% in 2021 to 12.9% in 2025. The BLS telework rate stayed between 21.5% and 23.0% over the year to March 2026 and was 21.9% in September 2026. SWAA puts work from home at about 25% of paid workdays as of 2025, 3.5 times its 2019 level.

What share of workers are hybrid versus fully remote?

Among all full-time employees, SWAA data for October 2025 to September 2026 show 62.7% fully on-site, 25.5% hybrid and 11.7% fully remote. Among employees whose jobs can be done remotely, Gallup found 54% hybrid, 25% exclusively remote and 21% on-site in August 2026.

Which state has the most people working from home?

Colorado has the highest share of any state, at 18.8% of workers in 2025. The District of Columbia is higher still at 22.7%. North Dakota (6.3%) and Mississippi (6.5%) are lowest. Among large metro areas, Austin (22.1%) and Denver (21.1%) lead.

Are remote workers more productive?

Hybrid work holds up well in the strongest studies. A randomized trial of 1,612 Trip.com employees, published in Nature in 2024, found that two work-from-home days a week cut quit rates by one-third with no effect on performance grades or promotions. Fully remote results are mixed: one study of IT professionals found productivity fell 8% to 19%, and a call center study found an 8% gap that it attributed to which workers chose remote jobs.

Do employers pay for home office equipment?

More than half do. SHRM's 2025 benefits survey found that 55% of employers provide at-home office equipment or subsidize its cost, with an average annual maximum reimbursement of $888. Of those employers, 95% cover office technology such as monitors and keyboards, but only 22% cover office chairs.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801 data.census.gov
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table B08301 (Means of Transportation to Work) data.census.gov
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey telework tables, September 2026, Table A-41 bls.gov
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2025 Results bls.gov
  5. WFH Research, SWAA monthly time series data file (Barrero, Bloom and Davis) wfhresearch.com
  6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey telework tables, September 2026, Table A-43 bls.gov
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Socioeconomic Inequalities Between Remote Workers and Commuters (America Counts story) census.gov
  8. Barrero, Bloom and Davis, 'Why Working from Home Will Stick', NBER Working Paper 28731 (revised October 2026) nber.org
  9. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2019 Results and 2025 Results bls.gov
  10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Economics Daily (April 16, 2026) and Table A-41 (September 2026) bls.gov
  11. WFH Research, Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (Barrero, Bloom, Buckman, Davis), SWAA October 2026 Updates, slide 10 wfhresearch.com
  12. Gallup, Indicator: Hybrid Work gallup.com
  13. Gallup, 'Hybrid Work in Retreat? Barely.' gallup.com
  14. Pew Research Center, 'Many remote workers say they'd be likely to leave their job if they could no longer work from home' pewresearch.org
  15. Pew Research Center, 'Does working from home make work-family balance easier?' pewresearch.org
  16. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey telework tables, September 2026, Table A-42 bls.gov
  17. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Economics Daily, '52.5 percent of workers in financial activities teleworked in June 2026' bls.gov
  18. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2025 Results, Table 7 bls.gov
  19. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0802 data.census.gov
  20. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table B08119 (calculated by DeskRated) data.census.gov
  21. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801 (states) data.census.gov
  22. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, Table S0801 (metropolitan areas); 2024 1-year estimates for Washington, D.C. data.census.gov
  23. Bloom, Han and Liang, 'Hybrid working from home improves retention without damaging performance', Nature 630 (2024) nature.com
  24. Bloom, Liang, Roberts and Ying, 'Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment', Quarterly Journal of Economics 130(1) ideas.repec.org
  25. Gibbs, Mengel and Siemroth, 'Work from Home and Productivity: Evidence from Personnel and Analytics Data on Information Technology Professionals', Journal of Political Economy Microeconomics 1(1) doi.org
  26. Emanuel and Harrington, 'Working Remotely? Selection, Treatment, and the Market for Remote Work', American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 16(4) aeaweb.org
  27. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Beyond the Numbers, 'The rise in remote work since the pandemic and its impact on productivity' (Pabilonia and Redmond) bls.gov
  28. Aksoy, Barrero, Bloom, Davis, Dolls and Zarate, 'Time Savings When Working from Home', AEA Papers and Proceedings 113 aeaweb.org
  29. SHRM, 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, Executive Summary shrm.org
  30. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2025 Results, Table 6 bls.gov
  31. Xiao, Becerik-Gerber, Lucas and Roll, 'Impacts of Working From Home During COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Well-Being of Office Workstation Users', Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 63(3) pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  32. Gomez, Suarez, Sosa and Tapang, 'Work from home-related musculoskeletal pain during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review', International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine doi.org
  33. Stroom, Eichholtz and Kok, 'Does working from home work? That depends on the home', PLOS ONE (2024) doi.org
  34. Kastle Systems, Occupancy Barometer weekly report kastle.com
  35. Placer.ai, September 2026 Office Index placer.ai
  36. Flex Index, Full Flex Report Q3 2025 lse.ac.uk
  37. Indeed Hiring Lab, Remote Tracker (remote_postings.csv, 7-day trailing average) github.com
  38. Robert Half, Remote work statistics and trends for 2026 (analysis of TalentNeuron job postings) roberthalf.com

Related on DeskRated