The gap between remote and onsite work narrows — again

The number of Americans back in offices has been steadily climbing since the height of the pandemic. But it's starting to fall back down, per LinkedIn data.

• The big picture: It's a sign that the balance between remote and in-person work will continue to oscillate with the times.

What's happening:

• Americans who have the option of working from home might be doing so to avoid paying for public transit or gas as the economy tightens, says George Anders, senior editor-at-large at LinkedIn.
• And the recent winter storms and cold snaps could be deterring people to trudge forward with daily commutes.
• There are also people who have recently been hired for fully in-person jobs who discovered upon joining that onsite attendance five days a week isn't necessary. So they've slipped into hybrid work, Anders says.

The bottom line: Employers want workers to come back for good, but it's unlikely work will ever return to what it was before the pandemic's massive experiment in teleworking.