Wither the commute? Analyzing post-pandemic commuting patterns in the U.S.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped the landscape of work. With the implementation of lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus in the spring of 2020, there was a rapid shift toward remote and hybrid work – even in industries and occupations where such practices had been rare. In the booming post-pandemic labor market, many workers have been able to push back on employer return-to-office mandates, as many now prefer hybrid over fully in-office work. With all of this post-pandemic flux, which workers are seeing enduring shifts in their work and commute patterns, and which are not? We examine this question by analyzing 2022 data from the U.S. National Household Travel Survey. While a broad cross-section of the workforce moved home during the early months of the pandemic, we find that post-pandemic remote and hybrid workers look a lot like those who worked away from work pre-pandemic. Such workers are more likely to ride public transit when they do commute; live in households with fewer cars than adults; have disabilities; have higher levels of education; and live in urban (rather than suburban or rural) areas. Meanwhile, Asian or Latino/a workers and those with children in the household are less likely to report permanent reductions in post-pandemic commuting. So while over half of all workers shifted home during the depths of the pandemic, the roughly quarter of the workforce that continues to work remotely, at least part-time, is remarkably similar to the five or so percent of those who worked remotely pre-pandemic.