Characterizing occupations that cannot work from home: a means to identify susceptible worker groups during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads globally, public health guidance is advising all workers to work from home. However, not all workers are employed in occupations which can be done from home. These workers are at an increased risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2due to increased interaction with the public and other workers, and also potentially at an increased risk for job displacement as more extreme public health measures (such as closing of retail operations or enforcing shelter in place) occur. Methods To characterize the occupations least likely to be able to work from home, national employment and wage data maintained by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was merged with measures from the BLS O*NET survey data, which ranks occupations by a variety of physical, ergonomic, psychosocial, and structural exposures. Noting that the work that could most easily be done at home would be work done on a computer that does not rely on interaction with the public, O*NET measures quantifying the importance of computer use at work, and the importance of working with or performing for the public at work were utilized. Results From this analysis, 19.5% (28.2 M) of the United States workforce covered by O*NET are employed in occupations where working from home would be difficult, due to minimal use of computer at work, and a high level of interaction with the public. These workers tend to be in service occupations, including retail and food service, protective service occupations, and transportation occupations such as bus drivers. About 25% (35.6 M) of the United States workforce covered by O*NET are employed in occupations where working from home could likely be more easily accommodated, as these workers do much of their work on computers and interaction with the public is not important. These workers tend to be in technology, computer, management, administrative, financial, engineering, and some science occupations, which typically have higher pay than occupations which cannot be done at home. Conclusions The workers in occupations that have minimal computer use, and high interaction with the public are least likely to be able to work from home during a public health emergency. These workers could also be at an increased risk for job displacement if public-facing establishments close or alter their business model in the face of increased public health restrictions. Occupations where working from home is not possible tend to have lower annual median incomes than occupations where working from home is possible, increasing the vulnerability of these workers. Characterizing which occupational groups are least likely to be able to work from home can inform public health risk management and prioritize occupational sectors where additional workplace protections are necessary.