Spending too much time working alone could be harming your mental health, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work skyrocketed. Since then, the rate of remote work has stabilized at around 22%.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22.6% of workers teleworked or worked from home for pay in March 2026. Over the past year, the telework rate has ranged from 21.5% to 23.0%.
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As remote work became more common, researchers increasingly focused on its effects on productivity and mental health.
This study drew on five nationally representative surveys of American workers conducted between 2011 and 2024, excluding the peak pandemic years.
Researchers found that workers in remote jobs spent approximately one additional hour alone per workday after the pandemic.
Remote workers were also more likely to spend entire days alone and reported less after-work socializing.
The increase was especially pronounced among people who lived alone. For this group, the "likelihood of spending the whole day without social contact rose by 7 percentage points (83%)."
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The study also found that mental distress increased by 0.1 standard deviations among remote workers compared with those who worked in an office.
Researchers noted that remote workers did not show an increase in visits to non-mental health care providers or in prescriptions unrelated to mental health. This suggests the rise in distress was not driven by a greater ability to access medical care.
The study concluded that although many workers prefer the flexibility of remote work, they may not fully recognize its potential impact on their well-being.
