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Telework and Time Use in the United States

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  • Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff
  • Vernon, Victoria

Abstract

Remote work is rapidly increasing in the United States. Using data on full-time wage and salary workers from the 2017–2018 American Time Use Survey Leave and Job Flexibilities Module, this paper examines the characteristics of teleworkers, the effects of teleworking on wages, and differences in time-use patterns between office and work-at-home workdays. We find that some teleworkers earn a wage premium, but it varies by occupation, gender, parental status, and teleworking intensity. Teleworkers also spend less time on commuting and grooming activities but more time on leisure and household production activities and more time with family on work-at-home days.

Suggested Citation

  • Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff & Vernon, Victoria, 2020. "Telework and Time Use in the United States," GLO Discussion Paper Series 546, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:glodps:546
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    Cited by:

    1. Charlene Marie Kalenkoski & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, 2022. "Impacts of COVID-19 on the self-employed," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 741-768, February.
    2. Takuya Ishino & Yoichi Mizumura & Kazuto Sumita & Takuya Yoshida & Norifumi Yukutake, 2022. "Impact of Teleworking on Childcare Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Owner-Occupied Housing," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 25(4), pages 423-460.
    3. Kosteas, Vasilios D. & Renna, Francesco & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2022. "Covid-19 and Working from Home: toward a "new normal"?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1013, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Leukhina Oksana & Yu Zhixiu, 2022. "Home Production and Leisure during the COVID-19 Recession," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(1), pages 269-306, January.
    5. Martin Christian Höcker & Yassien Bachtal & Andreas Pfnür, 2022. "Work from home: bane or blessing? Implications for corporate real estate strategies [Work from Home: Fluch oder Segen? Implikationen für das betriebliche Immobilienmanagement]," Zeitschrift für Immobilienökonomie (German Journal of Real Estate Research), Springer;Gesellschaft für Immobilienwirtschaftliche Forschung e. V., vol. 8(2), pages 101-137, October.
    6. Giovanis, Eleftherios & Ozdamar, Oznur, 2021. "Implications of COVID-19: The Effect of Working from Home on Financial and Mental Well-Being in the UK," MPRA Paper 107444, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Kalenkoski, Charlene M. & Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff, 2020. "Initial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Employment and Hours of Self-Employed Coupled and Single Workers by Gender and Parental Status," IZA Discussion Papers 13443, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Alexander Bick & Adam Blandin & Karel Mertens, 2020. "Work from Home Before and After the COVID-19 Outbreak," Working Papers 2017, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, revised 25 Feb 2021.
    9. James Lennox, 2020. "More working from home will change the shape and size of cities," Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre Working Papers g-306, Victoria University, Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre.
    10. Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia & Victoria Vernon, 2022. "Telework, Wages, and Time Use in the United States," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 687-734, September.
    11. Luca Bonacini & Giovanni Gallo & Sergio Scicchitano, 2021. "Working from home and income inequality: risks of a ‘new normal’ with COVID-19," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 303-360, January.
    12. Manuel Denzer & Philipp Grunau, 2021. "The Impacts of Working from Home on Individual Health and Well-being," Working Papers 2106, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    working from home; telework; telecommuting; commuting; home-based work; alternative work arrangements; work-life balance; time use; wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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