Time Use, College Attainment, and The Working-from-Home Revolution

I demonstrate that the profound change in working from home (WFH) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is concentrated among individuals with college degrees. Relative to 2015-19, the number of minutes worked from home on fall 2021 weekdays increased by over 90 minutes for college graduates; for non-graduates, it was 17 minutes. The share of work done at home (for those who worked at all) increased by 21% for graduates and 6% for non-graduates. Average minutes worked changed little for either group. Daily time spent traveling (e.g., commuting) fell by 24 minutes for college graduates but did not change for non-graduates. I examine how time-use patterns change for college graduates relative to non-graduates over the same period. Preliminary evidence suggests that time spent with children has risen for college graduates relative to non-graduates, potentially a sign that gaps in children's outcomes by college attainment will be exacerbated by the WFH revolution