Working remotely may come with an overlooked downside: more time spent alone and increased mental distress, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
Remote work surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained common even as many employees returned to the workplace.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20% of workers teleworked or worked from home in March 2026. .
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For the new study, researchers analyzed five nationally representative surveys of U.S. workers conducted between 2011 and 2024, excluding the peak pandemic years.
They found that people working remotely spent about one additional hour alone per workday after the pandemic compared with similar workers who worked in person.
Remote workers were also more likely to spend an entire day alone and reported less socializing after work.
The effects were particularly pronounced among people who lived alone. Among those workers, the likelihood of going an entire day without social contact increased by 7 percentage points, an 83% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
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Researchers also found an increase in mental distress among remote workers compared with those working in person. Mental distress increased by 0.1 standard deviations, a statistical measure researchers use to compare changes across groups.
The researchers examined whether greater access to health care could help explain the increase. Remote workers did not show similar increases in visits to non-mental health care providers or prescriptions for medications unrelated to mental health, suggesting increased access to medical care was not driving the findings
The study does not suggest that remote work is harmful for every worker. Instead, researchers said the findings highlight a potential trade-off as employees balance the flexibility and convenience of working from home with fewer opportunities for in-person social interaction.
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The latest study is one of many examining the effects of remote work. While previous research has identified social isolation as a potential concern, other studies have found benefits, including increased productivity and greater flexibility for workers.
