As a result of recent returns to office implemented by some Canadian businesses and governments, the percentage of Canadians working from home is now lower than it was during some post-COVID-19 pandemic years such as 2022. While this comparison provides useful information on the degree to which work telework has become less frequent since post-pandemic years, it does not address an important issue: the degree to which rates of telework have increased from 2016 to 2026, two years that are far apart from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and that are unaffected by the short-term restrictions implemented during this pandemic.

Using data from the Census of the Population of 2016 and the May 2020 to May 2026 supplements of the Labour Force Survey, this study shows that the percentage of Canadians working most of their hours from home more than doubled over the last decade. These results suggest that in some sectors, some firms are still experimenting with some forms of work from home—hybrid or not—or view these as desirable along some dimensions such as employee retention, profitability and productivity.