WASHINGTON (AA) – More Americans want to work remotely instead of going back to the office, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Pew Research Center said in a new survey that more workers today say they are doing this by choice rather than necessity.

“Among those who have a workplace outside of their home, 61% now say they are choosing not to go into their workplace, while 38% say they’re working from home because their workplace is closed or unavailable to them,” said the survey.

Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, 64% said they were working from home because their office was closed and 36% said they were choosing to work from home.

The reasons vary among the surveyed employees, with 42% citing exposure to COVID-19 while 76% said it is simply their choice.

Conducted Jan. 24-30, the study involved 10,237 US adults, including 5,889 employed adults who have only one job or who have multiple jobs.