The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a shift to working-from-home (WFH) that has already saved billions of hours of commuting time in the United States alone. The authors tap several sources, including original surveys of their own design, to quantify this time-saving effect and to develop evidence on how Americans are using the time savings.

Over the course of May, July, and August 2020, the authors surveyed 10,000 Americans aged 20-64 who earned at least $20,000 in 2019: 37.1% worked from home, 34.7% worked on business premises, and the rest were not working. These figures imply that WFH accounts for 52.3% of employment in the pandemic economy, which is similar to other estimates. By way of comparison, American Time Use Survey data imply a 5.2% WFH rate among employed persons before the pandemic.

To calculate aggregate time savings from increased WFH, the authors gathered data from two national surveys to determine the number of commuting workers and average commuting times. They find that commuting time dropped by 62.4 million hours per day. Cumulating these daily savings from mid-March to mid-September, the authors find that aggregate time savings is more than 9 billion hours.

The accompanying figure illustrates that people spent over one-third of their extra time on their primary job, and nearly one-third on childcare, outdoor leisure and a second job, combined.

More on this topic

Research Briefs·Oct 2, 2024

Moving to Opportunity, Together

Seema Jayachandran, Lea Nassal, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, Marie Paul, Heather Sarsons, and Elin Sundberg
When heterosexual couples in Germany and Sweden relocate, men’s earnings increase by 5-10%, while women’s do not change. Couples are more likely to relocate when the man, rather than the woman, is laid off. These gaps appear at least in...
Topics: Employment & Wages
Research Briefs·Jul 18, 2024

Historical Differences in Female-Owned Manufacturing Establishments: The United States, 1850-1880

Ruveyda Gozen, Richard Hornbeck, Anders Humlum, and Martin Rotemberg
During the late 1800s, manufacturing establishments owned by females were smaller than those owned by males and had lower capital-to-output ratios. Female-owned establishments employed more women and paid women higher wages, and were concentrated in sub-industries like women’s clothing and...
Topics: Employment & Wages
Research Briefs·May 23, 2024

Can You Erase the Mark of a Criminal Record? Labor Market Impacts of Criminal Record Remediation

Amanda Y. Agan,  Andrew Garin, Dmitri K. Koustas, Alexandre Mas, and Crystal Yang
Removing a previously obtained criminal record does not improve labor market outcomes, on average, with the notable exception of participation in gig work through online platforms.
Topics: Economic Mobility & Poverty, Employment & Wages