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COVID-19’s Biggest Legacy
Article

COVID-19’s Biggest Legacy

Remote Work and Its Implications for the Postpandemic Labor Market in the US

Gad Levanon, Elizabeth Crofoot and Frank Steemers
The Conference Board, 2021
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

Before the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders, only 8% to 10% of people with desk jobs worked at home. But many people and firms had positive experiences with remote work during the crisis. In the post-pandemic economy, up to 50% of people may still work remotely. This Conference Board report finds that companies seem likely to move to a hybrid model with some people at home, others in the office, and others using a split-time or hybrid model. The future of the hybrid workforce depends on whether bosses find that performance and productivity stay high, whether corporate cultures hold up and, perhaps, whether employees find they can still bond with their teammates and earn promotions. 

Take-Aways

  • In the near future, companies need to establish policies on remote work.
  • A hybrid between remote and office work is likely to emerge.
  • Companies need to formulate alternative plans in case remote work isn’t viable.

About the Authors

Gail Levanon is vice president of labor markets for The Conference Board, where Elizabeth Crofoot and Frank Steemers are senior economists. Crofoot works with the Committee for Economic Development and Steemers is a labor market analyst.

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