Working from home: implications for residential mobility and spatial inequalities

McCollum, David, Wahba, Jackline, Ghazaryan, Armine, Green, Anne, Taylor, Ian and Payne, Jonathan , Mcgowan, Teresa and Dey, Becki (eds.) (2025) Working from home: implications for residential mobility and spatial inequalities (ESRC Centre for Population Change Connecting Generations Policy Briefing Series, 84) ESRC Centre for Population Change 4pp.

Abstract

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020, more people have started working from home either all of the time (working remotely) or some of the time (hybrid working). In the UK, this rapid increase has been particularly noticeable among high-skill workers. This presents opportunities for addressing regional
inequalities. For example, it could lead to people and businesses moving from expensive areas with overheating property markets to other relatively affordable ones, spreading skills and economic activity more evenly across the country.

This briefing assesses who works from home and where, and what this means for residential mobility and the distribution of skilled human capital across the country. The analysis finds little evidence that the rise in working from home is reshaping residential mobilities. However, limited data makes it hard to tell if the changes are simply not being captured in the available data.

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Contributors

Author: Jackline Wahba

Editor: Teresa Mcgowan

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