Remote work rate holds near 22% despite office mandates
New Census-based analysis shows U.S. remote and hybrid work has changed little since 2024, even as major employers push staff back to offices.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Remote and hybrid work remain a regular part of the U.S. labor market despite high-profile office-return orders. A Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis analysis of Census Bureau Current Population Survey data found that nearly 22% of U.S. workers worked from home for at least part of the week in 2025, down only one percentage point from 2024.
The Minneapolis Fed analysis said the pattern carried into early 2026. Hybrid and fully remote workers together accounted for 22.3% of workers in January and 22% in February, according to the bank’s reading of the Census data.
That stability contrasts with the public stance taken by some large employers. Fortune reported that Amazon required employees to return to offices five days a week last year, while JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have repeatedly criticized remote work.
Office-first companies remain a minority, researcher says
Kyle de Bruin, managing director at workplace research firm Leesman, told Fortune that the firm’s surveys of about 100 to 130 large companies broadly match the government data. He said only about 3% of those companies require employees to be in the office five days a week.
De Bruin said the most visible office mandates, including those at large banks, do not reflect the broader market. He told Fortune that many employers have struggled to sustain strict mandates because workers remain unconvinced that daily office attendance improves their work.
The Minneapolis Fed analysis also measured remote work more broadly. Workers who did at least 10% of their weekly hours from home represented about one-quarter of the workforce in 2025, according to the bank.
The amount of time spent at home also changed little. Average remote hours fell from 27 hours at the start of 2025 to 26 hours a year later, according to the Minneapolis Fed analysis.
Remote work still brings trade-offs
The persistence of remote work does not mean employers see it as a cure-all. Fortune reported that a recent drop in entry-level roles has been linked by some researchers to the combined effects of artificial intelligence and remote work, as companies place more emphasis on experienced hires.
Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that remote work could explain a 64% increase in youth unemployment, according to Fortune. The report adds to evidence that flexible work can affect younger workers differently from more established employees.
Some companies still see remote hiring as an advantage. Deborah Saneman, CEO of payroll and HR software company Würk, told Fortune that the company now employs people in 22 states after giving up a 15,000-square-foot Denver office three years ago and replacing it with a 600-square-foot WeWork space.
Würk said one job opening this year drew more than 4,000 applicants, compared with about 170 applicants for a role in 2020. Saneman told Fortune that the wider hiring reach has helped the company find and keep employees with the skills it needs.
Saneman also said distributed work requires more intentional communication and mentoring. Fortune reported that Würk uses no-meeting Fridays for coaching and collaboration rather than regular work meetings.
The Census-based figures suggest remote work has settled into a durable role rather than fading quickly after pandemic-era restrictions ended. Saneman told Fortune that Würk does not plan to shift away from its current approach.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.