The Past as Prologue: Remote Working to the Cusp of the Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has refocused attention on remote working, raising questions about its future trajectory, the reasons for its prevalence, and the potential implications for urban areas. Examining data from four large-scale U.S. surveys from 2000 to the cusp of the pandemic, this paper provides historical perspective. The plurality of those working at home for pay was doing so as a supplement to tasks performed in the workplace. However, in 2019, 5.8 percent of those engaged in paid employment generally worked from home (forgoing a workplace journey), increasing by an average of .14 percent annually. On any given day, 13.2 percent were working from home, increasing by .29 percent per year. Many of those working from home were professional workers concentrated in select low-touch sectors. By 2019, the majority were formal employees (v. self-employed or gig workers). The age distribution of those working from home suggests that a significant portion of remote work is an outcome of the informalization of late-career employment relations among the highly-educated. Remote work is but one of several cost-reduction strategies available to firms.