American Remote Workers Regained 60 Million Commuting Hours – How Are They Using It?

Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that American remote workers are using the time saved on commutes to sleep in more.  

According to the research, which consisted of analysis from the American Time Use survey, remote workers reclaimed 60 million hours by eliminating daily commutes.  

In fact, those who work under a remote or hybrid model were shown to spend their time saved on more leisurely activities, such as rest, hobbies or household chores. 

“The findings lend credence to the various reports on employees’ preferences for flexible work arrangements, given that cutting the commute enables people to spend their time on other activities, such as childcare or leisure,” the authors stated.    

“This added benefit of working from home — for those who want it — will be an important consideration for the future of flexible work arrangements.”  

While how this saved time was spent varied across age categories, all groups were found to get at least one extra hour of sleep, a critical component to healthy wellbeing.