Americans are commuting to work at a post-pandemic high of 95%—outpacing marketers and media agencies by 10 points—driving AM/FM radio’s dominant 85% share of in-car ad-supported audio, according to dual October 2025 studies from Cumulus Media/Westwood One and Edison Research.
The Quantilope national study of 1,600 adults 18+ found 95% of average Americans now work outside the home—up from 2022 lows and 10 points ahead of the 85% of buy-side executives commuting, per the same survey of marketers and agencies.
Marketers/agencies saw in-office work surge: 53% commute “all/most days” (vs. 22% in April 2022), while only 15% work fully remote (down from 37%). Still, average Americans work more office days (4.7 vs. 4.2) and both groups avoid Fridays.
Edison Research’s Q2 2025 “Share of Ear” confirms AM/FM radio owns 85% of in-car ad-supported listening—unchanged over a decade of tracking 4,000 Americans annually—making it the “soundtrack of the American worker” as commutes rebound.
The gap has flipped: in 2022, average Americans led marketers by +23 points in outside-the-home work; by October 2025, the +10-point lead signals a full return to pre-pandemic commuting norms for the broader workforce.
Bottom line: more workers on the road = more ears on AM/FM, handing radio a clear edge in the battle for in-car ad dollars.