Homeworking more than doubled in 2020 during lockdown, figures show
17 May 2021, 14:54
The Office for National Statistics said that more than a quarter of people had worked at home at least part of the time.
The proportion of people working from home more than doubled in 2020 in the face of lockdown restrictions, according to new figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said that more than a quarter of people, 25.9%, worked at home at some point in the week they were surveyed.
It said this compared with 12.4% of workers in the same period in 2019.
Large parts of the workforce were also stuck at home during periods of furlough, as large parts of the economy were forced to shut their doors during the pandemic.
Among people who continued to work, slightly more women worked from home, at 26.3%, compared with men.
Meanwhile, the latest figures also revealed that people based in London were also particularly likely to work from home.
The data showed that 46.4% of people employed in London said they worked at home at some point in 2020.
It revealed that 70.7% of people in Richmond-upon-Thames said they had worked at home during the pandemic.
The groups with the highest rates of homeworking in 2020 were
▪️women ▪️those working in information and communication ▪️those residing in or working in London ▪️those in professional occupations
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) May 17, 2021
Elsewhere, only 13.7% of workers in Middlesbrough reported that they had worked from home in the same period.
People working in information and communication roles were among the most likely to work from home, with 69.2% of these employees saying they had worked at home.
Meanwhile, those working in the accommodation and food service sector were among the least likely to homework, with just 11.4% of people saying they had worked at home.
