The COVID-19 pandemic and the future of telecommuting in the United States

Deborah Salon; Laura Mirtich; Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway; Adam Costello; Ehsan Rahimi; Abolfazl (Kouros) Mohammadian; Rishabh Singh Chauhan; Sybil Derrible; Denise da Silva Baker; Ram M. Pendyala

doi:10.1016/j.trd.2022.103473

The COVID-19 pandemic and the future of telecommuting in the United States

Deborah Salon, Laura Mirtich, Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway, Adam Costello, Ehsan Rahimi, Abolfazl (Kouros) Mohammadian, Rishabh Singh Chauhan, Sybil Derrible, Denise da Silva Baker, Ram M. Pendyala

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study focuses on an important transport-related long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: an increase in telecommuting. Analyzing a nationally representative panel survey of adults, we find that 40–50% of workers expect to telecommute at least a few times per month post-pandemic, up from 24% pre-COVID. If given the option, 90–95% of those who first telecommuted during the pandemic plan to continue the practice regularly. We also find that new telecommuters are demographically similar to pre-COVID telecommuters. Both pre- and post-COVID, higher educational attainment and income, together with certain job categories, largely determine whether workers have the option to telecommute. Despite growth in telecommuting, approximately half of workers expect to remain unable to telecommute and between 2/3 and 3/4 of workers expect their post-pandemic telecommuting patterns to be unchanged from their pre-COVID patterns. This limits the contribution telecommuting can make to reducing peak hour transport demand.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	103473
Journal	Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
Volume	112
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103473
State	Published - Nov 2022

Keywords

COVID-19
Disruption
Remote work
Survey
Telecommute
Telework
Work from home

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Transportation
General Environmental Science

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10.1016/j.trd.2022.103473

Cite this

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abstract = "This study focuses on an important transport-related long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: an increase in telecommuting. Analyzing a nationally representative panel survey of adults, we find that 40–50% of workers expect to telecommute at least a few times per month post-pandemic, up from 24% pre-COVID. If given the option, 90–95% of those who first telecommuted during the pandemic plan to continue the practice regularly. We also find that new telecommuters are demographically similar to pre-COVID telecommuters. Both pre- and post-COVID, higher educational attainment and income, together with certain job categories, largely determine whether workers have the option to telecommute. Despite growth in telecommuting, approximately half of workers expect to remain unable to telecommute and between 2/3 and 3/4 of workers expect their post-pandemic telecommuting patterns to be unchanged from their pre-COVID patterns. This limits the contribution telecommuting can make to reducing peak hour transport demand.",

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The COVID-19 pandemic and the future of telecommuting in the United States

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Keywords

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