Study Shows 85% of Pre-COVID Commuters Back at the Office, While AM/FM Rules in Cars.

The work-at-home era is in the rearview mirror for most American workers who were commuting prior to the pandemic, according to an April 2025 survey of 1,600 adults 18+.

The results of the study, conducted by Quantilope, show that compared to similar research from Nielsen and MARU/Matchbox for the past five years, 85% of average Americans are currently commuting to work, a far cry from the 48% still doing so during the first full month of COVID exactly five years earlier, in April 2020. That current share of commuters is consistent with the last two years of data.

The finding is certainly good news for AM/FM radio, with a share of in-car ad-supported audio time spent listening that has stayed consistent since before the pandemic – currently at 86% for persons 18+, according to Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” report.

“For marketers and media agencies the message is clear: out-of-home media audiences have roared back as billboards, digital signage, and AM/FM radio offer mass reach at full pre-pandemic levels,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group VP, Advertiser Measurement & Insights Lauren Vetrano says in Westwood One’s blog. “The return-to-work trend has less of an impact on digital audio such as Spotify, Pandora, and podcasts, which are primarily consumed at home.”

At the same time, marketers and media agencies have also returned to office work. Based on results from an Advertiser Perceptions study of more than 300 media agencies and brands also conducted in April, 57% say they are working in the office all or most days, vs. 22% three years ago. Adding those commuting some days, 89% are now back in the office, compared to 63% in April 2022, while the share of those still only working at home has plummeted to just 11%, vs. 37% three years ago.

As a result, Vetrano says, “Despite the marketing industry historically working from home more than average Americans, the new studies reveal the two groups are now mostly aligned with their commutes.”

Indeed, there was a large gap between average Americans and brands/agencies working out of home during spring 2022, with 86% of the former vs. 63% of the latter commuting to work. That gap has steadily shrunk over the past year, to where both groups have close to an equal out-of-home share.

A day-by-day breakdown from the surveys shows both groups most likely to work in the office Monday through Thursday, while those percentages drop for Friday, and more significantly for weekends.

The two studies still show average Americans commuting to work slightly more weekdays than marketers/agencies, with 4.7 vs. 4.2, while total ad business workers spending five days at the office are up 45%-50%. Vetrano says that suggests that “compared to ad industry workers, typical Americans are more likely to be exposed to outdoor ads and AM/FM radio commercials, since they commute more days.”