A Lot of Us Are Back in the Office, But These Folks Are Staying Home

In July, 13% of the employed Americans surveyed for the government’s monthly jobs report responded “yes” to the question “Did you telework or work at home for pay because of the coronavirus pandemic?” That’s down from 35% in May 2020, when the question was first asked.

Both then and now, those with white-collar jobs were more likely to work from home than others. But one group stands out: the 5.8 million people in what the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls computer and mathematical occupations, of whom 49% were still working remotely because of the pandemic in July, even as only 25% of those in other non-health-care management and professional occupations (my proxy for white-collar workers) were.