Publication type
Research Paper
Series Number
1199
Series
CHE Research Papers
Authors
Publication date
July 1, 2025
Summary:
We examine the effect of the large post-COVID increase in remote work on loneliness and mental health, using Understanding Society data from the United Kingdom. We use differences-in-differences estimators that flexibly control for a rich set of co-variates to compare changes in key variables amongst two groups: those who worked in teleworkable occupations in 2019, and those who worked in non-teleworkable occupations in 2019. We find that relative to those who worked in non-teleworkable occupations, workers in teleworkable occupations significantly increased their propensity to remote work from 2020 onwards. They also experienced higher levels of self-reported loneliness, particularly amongst women, and worse mental health. By contrast, we find no evidence of changes in job satisfaction and any improvement in work-related autonomy is limited to men. Our results suggest that the rise of remote work may contribute to increased loneliness and worsening population health, albeit at modest levels.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.15124/yao-2pet-x846
Subjects
Notes
Uses Understanding Society data (not Understanding Society - COVID-19 Study, 2020)
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