The Lost Social Infrastructure of Work

Over the past 5 years, one of the largest social experiments in modern history has unfolded quietly: the removal of everyday human contact from work. Remote work has quadrupled in the US since the COVID-19 pandemic, now accounting for roughly 28% of workers’ days (1). However, the consequences of this major shift in the organization of social life are only now becoming clear. On page 1045 of this issue, Emanuel et al. (2) report that the lasting rise in remote work caused by the pandemic has substantially increased time spent alone and has worsened mental health across multiple measures. The findings suggest that the shift in work location to the home carries measurable costs at the population level.