Work from Home Before and After the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Based on novel survey data, we document the evolution of commuting behavior in the U.S. over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Work from home (WFH) increased sharply and persistently after the outbreak, and much more so among some workers than others. Using theory and evidence, we argue that the observed heterogeneity in WFH transitions is consistent with potentially more permanent changes to work arrangements in some occupations, and not just temporary substitution in response to greater health risks. Consistent with increased WFH adoption, many more-especially higher-educated-workers expect to WFH in the future.

Effects of the COVID-19 Recession on the US Labor Market: Occupation, Family, and Gender

“…However, the rise in mothers' nonparticipation during the pandemic suggests that, in the aggregate, this is unlikely to play a large role. In addition, even as remote work has grown for most classes of workers during the pandemic, it has increased considerably more for women (Bick, Blandin, and Mertens 2020). If it is mostly women who continue to take advantage of remote work arrangements, they may be stigmatized and miss out on career advancement opportunities, particularly in highly competitive professional and managerial occupations.…”

Quarantine, Contact Tracing, and Testing: Implications of an Augmented SEIR Model

“…Information on employment and social mobility indices is then used to separate out the impact of work contacts on the transmission rate. This procedure suggests that the shift toward work at home-as documented in Bick, Blandin and Mertens (2021)-had a larger impact on overall work contacts than the reduced employment in April and May 2020. I then assume an alternative employment path that avoids the sharp decline and rebound of employment, thus avoiding the output losses associated with the employment reductions.…”

“…We first construct work-related contacts from monthly payroll employment data and the Bick et al (2021) survey of workplace locations. Based on survey data that are patterned on the monthly CPS, Bick et al (2021) argue that the share of the U.S. workforce that is working from home increased from about 8 percent in February 2020 to about 30 percent in May 2020 and then declined to about 20 percent in the fall. 14 We define work contacts as the product of payroll employment and the share of those working away from home.…”

Why Commit When the Future is Bright? The Interactive Effects of Future Time Perspecitve and Organizational Cynicism

“…In sum, 5,179 emails were distributed. Finally, data for this study were collected prior to the 2020 worldwide coronavirus pandemic which resulted in alternate working arrangements (Bick, Blandin,& Mertens, 2020).…”