Remote work, wages, and hours worked in the United States

Sabrina Pabilonia and Victoria Vernon ()
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Victoria Vernon: SUNY Empire State University

Journal of Population Economics, 2025, vol. 38, issue 1, No 18, 49 pages

Abstract: Abstract Remote work gradually increased in the United States during the four decades prior to the pandemic, then surged in 2020. Using the American Community Survey, we show that pre-pandemic, remote full-time white-collar workers earned a wage premium while blue-collar workers paid a wage penalty compared with on-site workers. In 2020–2021, remote workers in most occupations earned a wage premium. Although average wages grew only slightly faster from 2019 to 2021 for remote workers than for on-site workers within occupations, increases in remote work intensity within occupations were positively associated with occupation-level wage growth. Pre-pandemic, remote employees worked substantially longer hours per week than on-site workers, but by 2021 their hours were similar.

Keywords: Remote work; Working from home; Wages; Hours; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J20 J22 J31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Working Paper: Remote Work, Wages, and Hours Worked in the United States (2023)
Working Paper: Remote Work, Wages, and Hours Worked in the United States (2023)
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DOI: 10.1007/s00148-025-01064-9

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