Study of 588,322 U.S. Workers Ties Remote Work to 1 Extra Hour Alone Daily
Updated
Updated · Tech Times · Aug 17
Study of 588,322 U.S. Workers Ties Remote Work to 1 Extra Hour Alone Daily
3 articles · Updated · Tech Times · Aug 17
Summary
Remote-capable U.S. workers spent about one additional waking hour alone on each workday after the pandemic, and they did not make up for it by socializing more later, a Science study found.
The analysis pooled five national surveys from 2011 to 2024 and estimated remote work explains roughly one-third of the post-pandemic rise in isolation between the 2011-2019 baseline and 2022-2024.
Workers living alone were hit hardest, while one or two in-office days appeared to reduce the isolation effect, pointing to hybrid schedules and coordinated office days as possible fixes.
A separate England survey of 135,725 adults found nearly one in six felt lonely often or always, with London, Birmingham and Manchester among the hardest-hit areas.
The findings add to evidence that loneliness has become a durable public-health problem after lockdowns ended, especially for younger adults and workers in remote-heavy urban jobs.