Over one-third of private-sector establishments increased telework during the COVID-19 pandemic

After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 34.5 percent of private-sector establishments in the United States increased telework for some or all employees in 2021. Among establishments that increased telework, 60.2 percent expected the increase in telework to continue after the pandemic ends.

In educational services, 62.7 percent of establishments reported increasing telework after the start of the pandemic. In information, 60.9 percent of establishments expanded telework, and in professional and business services, 53.1 percent increased telework during the pandemic. In contrast, only 3.6 percent of establishments in accommodation and food services and 12.2 percent of those in natural resources and mining expanded telework during the pandemic.

Among establishments that increased telework, 79.5 percent of  those in information and 73.7 percent of those in professional and business services expected  telework to continue after the end of the pandemic.

Of the establishments in educational services that increased telework, 61.7 percent expected the increase to continue after the pandemic ends. In comparison, 49.6 percent of establishments in natural resources and mining and 49.7 percent of retail trade establishments that increased telework expected the increase to continue.

In nearly all industries, over half of establishments that increased telework expected the increase to continue after the pandemic ends.

These data are from the Business Response Survey to the Coronavirus Pandemic. For more information, see "U.S. Business Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic — 2021" and more charts on how businesses responded to the pandemic.