Remote work and loneliness: Evidence from a nationally representative sample of employed U.S. adults

To examine whether remote workdays are associated with loneliness among employed adults in the United States.

Data were drawn from the 2024 Household Pulse Survey. Remote work frequency was measured as (0, 1-2, 3-4, or 5+ days/week). Loneliness was assessed with a single-item measure adapted from the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Weighted ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of loneliness. We adjusted for demographic variables and social isolation indicators.

Among 87,317 respondents (representing 33,233,325 employed U.S. adults), those working remotely 3-4 days per week had higher adjusted odds (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.16, 95 % CI = 1.08-1.26) for reporting a higher category of loneliness than those not working remotely. Similarly, individuals who worked remotely 5 or more days per week also had increased odds (aOR = 1.09, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.17) of falling into a higher category of loneliness relative to those who did not work remotely. In contrast, working remotely 1-2 days per week was not significantly linked to loneliness.

A high frequency of remote work (>3 days per week) appears to increase the likelihood of loneliness, potentially because of fewer in-person interactions. However, a lower remote work frequency (1-2 days) may offer flexibility without significantly increasing loneliness. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of frequent remote work on social well-being and identify effective interventions to mitigate loneliness.