Working From Home Statistics: What the Numbers Mean
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Did some or all of their work at home on days worked [1]
In 2025, 35% of employed people did some or all of their work at home on days they worked. The same BLS release reported that 70% did some or all of their work at their workplace. These categories can overlap because a person can work in both places on the same day. [1]
The numbers
| Group or location | Share doing some work at home | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All employed people, on days worked | 35% | [1] |
| Employed women, on days worked | 38% | [1] |
| Employed men, on days worked | 31% | [1] |
| Age 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 51% | [1] |
| Age 25+ with high school diploma and no college | 19% | [1] |
Some work at home does not mean a remote job
The time-use survey asks where work happened on a diary day. A person who worked at an office and later completed tasks at home can appear in both location categories. This is why adding the home and workplace percentages does not produce a simple division of workers.
The estimate does not tell us the share of jobs classified as fully remote, the share of employers offering hybrid work, or the number of days an employee is permitted to stay home. Those questions require different measures.
[1]The denominator is days worked
The headline percentage is calculated for employed people on days when they worked. It does not include every employed person on every day in the same way, because days off are outside that particular denominator.
A measure of where people usually work may give a different result. A time diary records observed activity for a day, while a usual-workplace question summarizes a broader pattern. Both can be useful, but their labels must remain distinct.
[1]Education comparisons have an age restriction
BLS reports that 51% of workers age 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher did some work at home on days worked, compared with 19% of those with a high school diploma and no college.
These education comparisons apply to the age-restricted population in the source. They should not be relabeled as figures for all workers of every age. They also do not establish that obtaining a degree causes remote work; occupations and job tasks differ across education groups.
[1]What a national estimate leaves open
The survey captures a broad cross-section of employment. It does not imply that working from home is practical for every occupation, or that a higher rate is better for every worker or employer.
For comparisons over time, use the same question, population, and diary method. Combining this figure with a company survey or a survey of remote-capable jobs can create apparent changes that are actually differences in coverage.
[1]Sources & notes
Source: BLS American Time Use Survey—2025 Results, working section and Table 6. Home and workplace categories overlap. Education comparisons are restricted to workers age 25 and older.
The 2025 ATUS did not collect diaries for September 30–November 11 during the federal shutdown. Under the existing weighting method, later fourth-quarter diaries represent the missing days as well. See the BLS collection notice before making year-to-year comparisons.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction