ONS reveals rise in home working
ONS reveals rise in home working
According to the Office of National Statistics, (ONS) the number of people choosing to work from home is continuing to rise, fuelled mainly by the accessibility of technology and communications.
The figures revealed that the number of home workers has increased from 9.2 per cent of workers in 2011 to 10.7 per cent in 2012.
The largest increase in home working was seen in the South East and South West of the country, with a rise of 2.2 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively. London itself saw a dramatic rise in home working, at 4.5 per cent.
Whilst some urban local authorities registered a decrease in the number of people working at home, overall, every one of the 348 local authorities based in England and Wales saw the actual number of people working from home rise between 2001 and 2011.
Opting to work from home can bring numerous benefits such as increased productivity, a better work/life balance, no commuting and increased flexibility. Technological advancements have also played a major part in the rise in the number of home workers, with resource improvements such as cloud computing and VoIP calling, both of which have made communication between home-based workers and office-based colleagues faster, more reliable and more cost-effective.
The ONS also found that a rising number of people above pensionable age were choosing to begin work again at home. Craig Palfrey of financial advisory firm Penguin Wealth, told The Telegraph that technology had played a key role in this trend. "The internet has certainly made it far easier for people to work from home and supplement their retirement incomes," he said.
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