BLS DATA · 2024 UPDATE
Which industries are doubling down on remote work — and which are forcing the Return to Office? Calculated from Bureau of Labor Statistics ATUS data using a year-over-year transition score.
17.2%
Avg US WFH Rate (2024)
95.8
Avg Transition Score
43.8%
Highest WFH (Tech)
US_Labor_stats_API_KEY registered at bls.gov/developers for live data refresh.14 major BLS industry groups · 2023 vs 2024 comparison
| Industry | 2023 WFH% | 2024 WFH% | Δ | Index Score | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 3.6% | 3.3% | -0.3pp | 91.7 | RTO |
| Information & Technology | 47.2% | 43.8% | -3.4pp | 92.8 | RTO |
| Public Administration | 24.8% | 23.1% | -1.7pp | 93.1 | Mild RTO |
| Retail Trade | 5.8% | 5.4% | -0.4pp | 93.1 | Mild RTO |
| Financial Activities | 32.6% | 30.4% | -2.2pp | 93.3 | Mild RTO |
| Professional & Business Services | 38.1% | 35.6% | -2.5pp | 93.4 | Mild RTO |
| Transportation & Utilities | 4.7% | 4.4% | -0.3pp | 93.6 | Mild RTO |
| Leisure & Hospitality | 1.8% | 1.7% | -0.1pp | 94.4 | Mild RTO |
| Agriculture & Natural Resources | 2.1% | 2% | -0.1pp | 95.2 | Mild RTO |
| Educational Services | 28.4% | 27.2% | -1.2pp | 95.8 | Mild RTO |
| Manufacturing | 7.4% | 7.1% | -0.3pp | 95.9 | Mild RTO |
| Management of Companies | 19.4% | 18.7% | -0.7pp | 96.4 | Mild RTO |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | 14.2% | 14.8% | +0.6pp | 104.2 | Stable+ |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 22.1% | 23.8% | +1.7pp | 107.7 | Remote+ |
Top 5 industries forcing employees back to the office vs. top 5 doubling down on remote work in 2024.
Lowest Transition Scores — strongest RTO pressure
Highest Transition Scores — doubling down on remote
Your nominal salary stays the same. Your real buying power changes dramatically when you move cities.
COL Index: 194 · Median Rent: $3,200/mo · State tax: 9.3%
COL Index: 103 · Median Rent: $1,450/mo · State tax: 0%
San Francisco
$61,856
Real buying power
Nominal: $120,000
Nashville
$116,505
Real buying power
Same nominal salary
Shareable Insight
"Earning $120,000 in San Francisco while working remotely from Nashville is like getting a +88.3% real pay raise — without ever negotiating."
Source: WFH Transition Index · resource.skyrocketbpo.com
Metro areas with higher remote work adoption show significantly higher office vacancy rates. Bubble size = metro population. Pearson r = 0.87 (strong positive correlation).
32.1%
San Francisco office vacancy
(WFH: 38.2%)
0.87
Pearson r correlation between
WFH rate and office vacancy
15.2%
Miami office vacancy
(WFH: 19.2%)
Data sources & methodology: Industry WFH percentages are derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) American Time Use Survey (ATUS) annual reports (2022 and 2023 editions) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) telework supplement (2024 monthly averages, Jan–Dec). The Transition Index Score is calculated as (WFH% 2024 ÷ WFH% 2023) × 100. Office vacancy rates are approximate figures sourced from JLL, CBRE, and CoStar Q4 2024 market reports. Cost-of-living indices are based on BEA Regional Price Parities and ERI salary data. All figures are estimates; consult original BLS publications for margin-of-error details. Last data review: May 2025.