Telework during the COVID-19 pandemic: estimates using the 2021 Business Response Survey

Abstract

Using new data from the 2021 Business Response Survey, a large, nationally representative survey of U.S. private sector businesses, this article presents unique estimates of telework patterns observed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We find that, between July and September 2021, 13 percent of all U.S. private sector jobs involved teleworking full time and 9 percent involved teleworking some of the time. Telework was less common in establishments that increased base wages during the pandemic. The share of establishments that increased telework was larger among establishments that started offering flexible work hours or compressed work schedules after the pandemic hit. Telework was also associated with reductions in workplace square footage and relocation. Within each industry sector, low-paying establishments had a smaller share of jobs that involved telework.