Jobs in London and higher-paid roles easier to do from home, finds ONS report

Economists and statisticians among easiest jobs to do remotely

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The easiest jobs to do from home have been named as actuaries, economists and statisticians in a new report.

Conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the report found that roles such as these require relatively little face-to-face contact, or the use of additional tools or equipment, which make them more straightforward to be carried out remotely.

Other roles are almost impossible to be performed at home, the report stated, singling out frontline workers such as police officers, paramedics and firefighters.

Similarly, those in roles such as gardening, carpenting, and construction were also singled out as being unable to work remotely.

Those who are least likely to be able to work from home were found to be mostly men.

Meanwhile, the report also looked at location and found that jobs based in either London or the South East of England are more likely to be easily conducted from home due to the higher number of occupations such as finance and IT in the region, both of which are easily carried out remotely.

The report also found that employees with higher hourly wages are more likely to be able to work from home as well, in addition to people who are very senior in their companies, such as chief executive and senior officials.

The report also looked at the median earnings of employees in roles that were most likely to be able to work from home, identifying their hourly earnings as £19.01, compared to £11.28 for workers jobs that were least likely to be adaptable to home working.

As for how many people are currently working from home in the UK, the ONS found that 1.7 million people (roughly five per cent of the workforce) reported working mainly from home in 2019.

However, lockdown has drastically changed this given that Boris Johnson urged all Britons to work from home if they could from 23 March.

A survey conducted between 8 and 12 July found that more than a quarter of adults (27 per cent) worked exclusively at home in the previous week.

The findings come after the prime minister led a press conference in Downing Street during which he outlined relaxed guidance for working from home in England.

Mr Johnson stated that guidance for remote working would be updated from 1 August.

The prime minister said that instead of continuing to tell people that they should work from home if they are able to, employers will be given “more discretion” to consider how their staff can continue working safely.

He explained that while this may involve employees continuing to work from home, which has “worked for many employers and employees”, it may also consist of returning to workplaces that are “following Covid-secure guidelines”.