Phil Sletten: New data shows work-from-home is here to stay in New Hampshire

The worst periods of the COVID-19 pandemic may be in the rearview mirror, but one of the biggest changes brought about by the pandemic is still shaping people’s lives in New Hampshire: where and how Granite Staters work. Remote jobs, commuting habits and even housing markets look different than they did just a few years ago, and those shifts have reshaped the state’s economy. Fresh U.S. Census data released last month shows many pandemic-influences work patterns haven’t ended, and appear to be here to stay. Here are three key takeaways about how work has changed in New Hampshire since the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s stayed the same.

Remote work is now a permanent part of NH’s economy

About 16% of workers age 16 or older, or about 121,000 people, worked from home in 2024. That’s down from the pandemic peak of 19.3% in 2021, but still more than double the pre-pandemic rate of 7.3% in 2019. Remote work had already been on the rise before the pandemic, increasing steadily from 6.3% in 2016, to 7.3% in 2019. The share of remote workers has held steady for the past two years, showing it isn’t a temporary trend. For many Granite Staters, working from home has become the norm, impacting not only workdays but also decisions about housing, transportation and child care.

Fewer Granite Staters are crossing state lines for work than before pandemic

With remote work becoming more common, there has also been a shift in commuting patterns. Pre-pandemic, many New Hampshire residents commuted to neighboring states, particularly Massachusetts, for work. In 2019, approximately 15.2% of the state’s workforce, or about 107,000 people, crossed state lines to reach their jobs. From 2021 to 2024, however, an average of 12.9% of Granite State workers age 16 and older were commuting out of state for work. This change affects family routines, transportation costs and the regional economy. Employers may face more difficulty convincing workers to endure long commutes when remote work opportunities are available.

Even with fewer out-of-state commuters, travel times haven't changed much

The average commute was 28 minutes in 2019, and 27.5 minutes in 2024, with about one in 10 workers still spending more than an hour traveling each way. Most workers continue to rely on cars: 72% drive alone, 7% carpool, and only small percentages walk, bicycle, use public transit, or get to work in some other way. Remote work may be changing where people live and how far they travel, but for those who still commute, the daily journey in 2024 might have looked a lot like it did in 2019. Some workers also still faced the same barriers to automobile-based transportation, with one in 50 workers lacking access to a vehicle in their household in 2024.

Persistent remote work has reshaped daily life for many people in New Hampshire. It has influenced where people decide to live, likely contributing to growth farther away from urban areas and traditional employment centers inside and outside of the state’s borders. These changes impact housing markets, transportation planning, child care, and the heightened importance of broadband access. Understanding how work has changed, and might continue to change, is key to understanding New Hampshire’s economy and the needs of families and communities in the future.

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Phil Sletten is the research director at the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, a nonpartisan, independent research nonprofit that examines issues related to the state budget, the economy, policy decisions, and the financial security of Granite Staters. Sletten lives in Henniker.