Remote and Hybrid Work Hold Near 22 Percent in Early 2026 Despite Office Mandates

Remote and hybrid work arrangements accounted for 22.3 percent of U.S. employment in January 2026 and 22 percent in February, Fortune reported. The figures mark a one-percentage-point drop from the 2025 average of nearly 22 percent.

Amazon required employees to return to the office five days a week in 2025. A Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis analysis of Census Bureau data placed the share of workers spending at least 10 percent of their week at home at 25 percent for 2025. Average weekly remote hours edged down from 27 at the start of 2025 to 26 one year later.

Surveys by Leesman of 100 to 130 large companies found that only 3 percent operated fully in-office five days a week. Kyle de Bruin, managing director at Leesman, said mandates have proven difficult to sustain because employees question the need for daily office presence.

Research released last month by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York linked remote work to a possible 64 percent increase in youth unemployment, attributing the effect to companies favoring senior hires over entry-level roles when combining remote tools with artificial intelligence.

Payroll software firm Würk reduced its Denver office from 15,000 square feet to a 600-square-foot WeWork space three years ago and now employs staff across 22 states. One recent job posting drew more than 4,000 applicants, compared with roughly 170 for a similar role in 2020, according to chief executive Deborah Saneman.

Saneman said the distributed model requires deliberate steps such as no-meeting Fridays devoted to coaching.

She added that the company sees no immediate need to alter its approach.