All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest.

Telecommuting has become increasingly prevalent, but the degree of flexibility varies among employers in different states within the U.S.

According to data from SelectSoftware Reviews, Colorado has the largest proportion of employees who work remotely, with 37.3% of individuals working from home at least one to two days per week. Following closely behind are Maryland (37%), Massachusetts (36.4%), Utah (36%), and Washington state (34.8%).

According to Ravi Gajendran, a professor of business at Florida International University in Miami, areas with a high concentration of knowledge-based jobs tend to have a higher percentage of individuals working remotely.

According to Gajendran, states with a strong presence in IT, finance, and analytics are more likely to have a greater percentage of employees working remotely. Colorado is known for its software industry, while Utah is developing as a hub for intellectual property-based businesses. Other areas such as Virginia and New Jersey also have a significant number of knowledge-based jobs.

According to Gajendran, Maryland (37%) and Virginia (32.1%), including the suburbs of Washington, D.C., are prominent on the list because of the prevalence of knowledge-based jobs connected to federal contracts.

California is home to Silicon Valley, a global center for technology and innovation, but its telework rate (29.9%) does not break the top 10.

According to Gajendran, many people who work in knowledge-based professions reside in major cities or their surrounding suburbs. For instance, in a state like California, the percentage may be around 30%, but in cities such as San Jose or San Francisco, it could be closer to 60-70%. However, in the rural areas of California, this percentage is significantly lower.

According to Timothy Golden, a management professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, employees in high-tech fields like IT and computer programming were among the earliest to readily embrace remote work, and this trend is continuing to grow.

Golden explained to VOA via email that as we progress in a post-pandemic society, telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular among various types of employees, not just those in the high-tech field. This includes administrative and clerical workers who are able to complete their tasks remotely and remain connected to their colleagues, clients, and customers through technology.

The five states with the smallest proportion of telecommuters are Mississippi (11.9%), Louisiana (13.68%), Wyoming (15.51%), Arkansas (15.56%), and North Dakota (15.92%).

According to Gajendran, it is likely that urban areas would have a significantly larger number of remote workers compared to rural areas.

According to the survey, the majority of American employees, specifically 63%, do not work remotely. However, experts Gajendran and Golden believe that the pandemic has made a lasting impact on the way millions of Americans work.

According to Golden, remote and hybrid work is becoming a permanent fixture. It is now acknowledged and embraced as a successful way of working that benefits both employers and employees.

According to Gajendran, many companies will likely recognize that a hybrid remote work model, split evenly between in-person and remote work, is the optimal approach for knowledge workers. This could mean either three days in the office and two days at home, or the reverse.