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29 percent of wage and salary workers could work at home in their primary job in 2017–18

September 30, 2019

Twenty-nine percent of wage and salary workers could work at home in their primary job in 2017–18, and 25 percent did work at home at least occasionally.  Fifteen percent of wage and salary workers had days they only worked at home.  Asians were more likely to work at home, 32 percent, compared with 26 percent of Whites and 18 percent of Blacks or African-Americans.  Hispanic or Latino workers (13 percent) were less likely to work at home than non-Hispanics (27 percent).   

 Percent of wage and salary workers able to work at home, 2017–18

Could work at home

Did work at home

Had days they only worked at home

Total

29% 25% 15%

Men

29 25 15

Women

28 25 14

White

30 26 15

Black

20 18 11

Asian

37 32 19

Hispanic

16 13 6

Non-Hispanic

31 27 17

In 2017–18, 57 percent of workers had a flexible schedule that allowed them to vary the times they began and stopped work. Twenty-four percent of workers had a flexible schedule and could also work at home, while 33 percent of workers had a flexible schedule but could not work at home. Thirty-eight percent of workers could not work at home and did not have a flexible schedule.

 Percent of wage and salary workers with flexible schedules and ability to work at home, 2017–18

Flexibility

Could work at home

Could not work at home

Had a flexible schedule

24% 33%

Did not have flexible schedule

38 5

These data are from the American Time Use Survey. For more information, see “Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules — 2017–2018 Data from the American Time Use Survey.”

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 29 percent of wage and salary workers could work at home in their primary job in 2017–18 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/29-percent-of-wage-and-salary-workers-could-work-at-home-in-their-primary-job-in-2017-18.htm (visited December 14, 2024).

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