Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates a notable decline in the number of government employees telecommuting.
This shift towards limited remote work has been one of the points of contention regarding federal workers since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, with claims that it undermines government efficiency.
“Following President Trump’s inauguration, there was a clear drop in federal worker telecommuting.”
This observation was made by Mike Concal, who serves as the senior director of policy and research for the Economic Security Project.
According to Concal’s analysis, there has been a marked decrease in the number of government employees telecommuting since January when Trump assumed office.
Prior to Trump’s administration, the percentage of federal workers telecommuting was significantly higher compared to their private and state counterparts. The rate was approximately 35% around Election Day in November, before plummeting to 18.2% as of the latest figures in April.
In November, meanwhile, about 24% of state employees worked from home and around 22% of private sector workers did the same—both figures being lower than those of federal workers at that time.
Currently, federal employees are working remotely even less than their private and state peers, with rates at 20.8% and 21.9%, respectively.
Concal attributes this significant decline in telecommuting rates to the initiatives undertaken by Trump and Doge.
“While the monthly data can vary and is not adjusted for seasonal trends, it’s evident that there has been a substantial drop in the number of federal workers telecommuting since Trump’s presidency began,” he noted.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that a long-term reduction in remote work could ultimately weaken “state capacity.”
In January, Trump enacted an executive order mandating all department heads to cease remote work setups and instruct employees to return to on-site work. Many remote work policies that had emerged during the pandemic-related shutdowns remain in place.
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