Alan Felstead, Findings from the Skills and Employment Survey 2024, Cardiff: Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data, Cardiff University.
Mae'r cynnwys hwn ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig.
Before the pandemic interest in the location of work was, at best, modest, but during and after the pandemic interest spiked with claims that the office is dying. This report examines historical trends in those working exclusively at home (homeworkers) and those working partly in the office and partly at home (hybrid workers). It identifies which groups have been affected most/least and highlights the factors most closely associated with workers’ ability to carve out dedicated spaces of work within the home to create a home office.
- When working at home around a quarter (27%) of people work on the kitchen table or in the dining room and a fifth (22%) have a workstation in the corner of a room. Less than half (45%) have a home office of their own. Those contributing more to the household budget, residents of larger homes and those spending more time using the home as a place of work are more likely to have the resources and space to create a home office. As a result, men are more likely than women to have a dedicated office, and women are more likely to work in spaces intended for other uses such as the kitchen or dining room.
- The proportion of workers using a fixed place of work – such as an office, factory or shop – has fallen to its lowest point in over 20 years. In 2001 around two-thirds (64%) worked in such places, but by 2024 the proportion had almost halved to less than two-fifths (38%).
- The growth in homeworking and hybrid working are responsible for this shift. Homeworking rose from 3% in 2001 to 13% in 2024, while hybrid working also rose sharply, jumping from 5% to 21% over this period.
- In 2024, there were 3.9 million homeworkers and 6.1 million hybrid workers. However, the shift in the location of work pre-dates the pandemic with hybrid working on an upward path since 2006.
- Nevertheless, the character of homeworking and hybrid working has changed since the pandemic. Both have grown sharply among employees and those working in higher skilled occupational groups. In addition, hybrid working has grown more rapidly among men than women. However, the location of work has not changed for many lower skilled workers who remain tied to working in places such as factories and shops.