Where Data Tells the Story
© Voronoi 2026. All rights reserved.
The pandemic created a structural break in how Americans get to work. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data show that 5.7% of workers usually worked from home in 2019. That share surged to 17.9% in 2021, then fell to 15.2% in 2022 and 13.8% in 2023. The decline after 2021 is real, but so is the persistence of remote work. In 2023, the work-from-home share was still about 2.4 times its pre-pandemic 2019 level. The 2023 share was about 23% below the 2021 peak, yet remained far above the old baseline. KEY METRICS 2019: 5.7% 2021: 17.9% 2022: 15.2% 2023: 13.8% 2023 vs. 2019: 2.42× the pre-pandemic share 2023 vs. 2021 peak: 22.9% lower CORE TAKEAWAY Return-to-office reduced work-from-home prevalence from its pandemic peak, but the U.S. did not return to the 2019 commuting pattern. IMPORTANT CAVEAT The American Community Survey measure identifies workers whose usual means of getting to work was “worked from home.” It does not capture every person who works remotely some days or follows a hybrid schedule. The graphic therefore should not be interpreted as measuring all remote and hybrid work.