Working from home, commuting distances, and regional labour market expansion after the pandemic
the pandemic has affected commuting distances. The analysis is based on detailed population-wide longitudinal microdata for Sweden covering the period 2016–2023. This paper examines how the widespread adoption of working from home (WFH) following The results show no indications of a pre-pandemic trend in the effect of WFH potential on home-to-work distances; however, after the pandemic, an increasing positive effect is observed.
Abstract
By the end of 2023, having a WFH-compatible job is, on average, associated with a 5 percent longer commuting distance compared to the pre-pandemic period. This effect is primarily attributed to workers relocating their residences further from their workplaces and is more pronounced among those with jobs in metropolitan area centres. The results indicate larger effects for younger workers compared to older workers and for managers and professionals relative to those in other occupations, but show no significant differences between women and men.