Big preference for remote working after restrictions end – CSO survey

Some 90 per cent of those aged between 35 and 44 who can work remotely would like to do so when pandemic restrictions end, a survey by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has found.

The research also found that a significant majority (75 per cent) who were engaged in home duties and 70 per cent of those unable to work due to health problems would consider employment if it could be done remotely.

The findings come in the wake of separate CSO data that appear to suggest the pandemic and increased incidence of remote working is facilitating greater participation in the workforce.

Participation

The CSO's most recent Labour Force Survey found participation in the labour force among working-age adults was 65.1 per cent in the third quarter of last year, the highest on record.

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The male participation rate was up 1.6 points to 70.5 per cent – relative to pre-pandemic rates – while female participation was up by more than 3 percentage points to 59.8 per cent in 2021.

The CSO's survey found that, of those in employment in the mideast region (Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow) who could work remotely, 93 per cent said they would like to do so after all pandemic restrictions are removed.

Transport

The survey also found that just 3 per cent of remote workers whose main mode of transport to work prior to the pandemic was a car were making more trips by car on days they worked remotely while 18 per cent said they would like to work from a remote work hub or a combination of home and a remote work hub when the pandemic restrictions end.

"Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the work conditions of those in employment in Ireland has changed dramatically with access to workplaces restricted as part of public health measures," said the CSO's Dermot Kinane.