HILDA finds working from home boosts women’s job satisfaction more than men’s, and that has a downside

Mark Wooden and colleagues write in The Conversation (5.12.22) about the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey data, pointing to gender inequities arising from workplace changes during the pandemic.

‘The shift to working from home is unlikely to reverse.

‘Data from the HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) Survey released on Monday show the proportion of Australians working “most hours” from home jumped from around 6% before the pandemic to 21% in 2020. Unpublished data available to researchers shows a further jump to 24% in 2021.

‘While the rise was most pronounced in Victoria (which was in lockdown when the 2020 survey was conducted) there were big increases in all states except Tasmania.

‘Working from home increased in every industry but agriculture. It increased the most in industries dominated by office jobs.

‘… What the survey found was that the proportion of these workers who reported negative effects on their ability to do their job (42%) far outweighed the proportion who reported positive effects (24%).’

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