September 23, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Working at home in 2004

In May 2004, 20.7 million persons usually did some work at home as part of their primary job. These workers, who reported working at home at least once per week, accounted for about 15 percent of total nonagricultural employment, essentially the same percentage as in May 2001.

Percent distribution of persons who usually worked at home, May 2004
[Chart data—TXT]

About half of those who usually worked at home were wage and salary workers who took work home from the job on an unpaid basis. Another 16 percent had a formal arrangement with their employer to be paid for the work they did at home. The remainder—about one-third of persons who usually worked at home in May 2004—were self-employed.

These data on work at home are from the Current Population Survey. Find out more in "Work at Home in 2004," news release USDL 05-1768.

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