The hidden inequalities of telework across the EU

Specialists level out that the development is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic ranges, so teleworking is right here to remain, however the place is it heading, the place is it extra widespread and why?

In line with statistics from the EU labour power survey (LFS), the nations the place teleworking is most widespread are the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg, the place half of the inhabitants normally or generally works from house.

On the different finish of the spectrum are Romania, Cyprus and Hungary, the place using teleworking is fairly low, at round seven to 13 p.c.

How can these variations be defined? The primary components behind these figures may very well be cultural variations and the insurance policies in place, fairly than the commercial construction of some nations versus others, as even in the identical sectors, equivalent to telecommunications, there’s a massive distinction within the uptake of teleworking.

In 2019, telework was extra widespread in Nordic nations equivalent to Denmark, Sweden and Finland, which additionally had the next proportion of employees teleworking through the pandemic.

Nevertheless, the European Fee’s Joint Analysis Centre (JRC) factors out {that a} mixture of things helps to elucidate the disparity throughout the EU.

These embrace completely different administration types and versatile working insurance policies, the extent of digital abilities, the variety of small and enormous firms (as bigger firms are usually extra more likely to undertake teleworking), or the proportion of those that are self-employed — as their workplace is usually their house.

However the JRC additionally notes: “Because the pandemic exacerbates the divide between those that can simply transition to working from house and people who can not, inequality is about to extend”.

Among the many most unequal EU nations, Romania, Latvia, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic stand out.

Inequality is measured by a rating. The decrease the rating, the smaller the variations in unused potential between completely different socio-demographic teams, i.e. between women and men, between migrants and non-migrants, or between younger individuals and adults, to call however a couple of.

At EU degree, males proceed to telework greater than girls. A proven fact that have to be understood along with the kind of positions they maintain.

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“The uptake of teleworking is just not essentially linked to the potential, it’s to some extent, but it surely’s additionally very a lot defined by occupational standing,” Tom Schraepen, a advisor on the Brussels-based financial think-tank Bruegel, informed EUobserver.

Working from house is a development that, even earlier than the pandemic, was primarily discovered amongst managers, the overwhelming majority of whom are males.

In 2020, just one in three managers within the EU was a lady, in accordance with Eurostat figures.

And whereas the pandemic has elevated the uptake of telework amongst clerical assist employees throughout the EU, it’s extra widespread amongst well-paid people, in accordance with the dashboard created by the Bruegel researcher.

“Managers have a decrease potential than clerical employees, however they’ve the next uptake,” Schraepen mentioned.

The rise in teleworking within the EU within the wake of the pandemic has not made these inequalities disappear, but it surely has made different inequalities vanish, such because the hole within the uptake of telework between those that have kids and people who don’t.

From 2012 to 2021, the distinction is near zero.