Home-based jobs on the up

In lower Fairfield County, more than 3,000 additional people now work at least one day a week from home compared five years earlier, a slower rate of increase than many other parts of the country.

The Census Bureau estimated that more than 20,800 people work at least part time from home in Bridgeport, Stamford or surrounding communities. That amounts to 4.9 percent of the local workforce, compared to 9.5 percent of workers nationally.

The agency attributed the 2.5 percent national growth to a range of factors, including increased reliance on computer and communications platforms that allow for remote work, and more self-employed workers.

If you are looking to work from home, consider a company in Boulder, Colo., the runaway leader nationally with nearly 11 percent of its workforce getting the job done primarily at their homes; or closer to home, the Kingston, N.Y. area, which ranked fourth nationally at 8.1 percent.