UK – Number of Home Based Workers Doubles

From the TimesOnline.com

WORKING full-time from home was almost unheard of just a decade ago.
But the number of people who have ditched the daily commute for the comfort of their sofas and laptops has doubled in the past eight years, according to figures released today.

Nearly 2.5 million employees now work from home, accounting for one in ten of all workers in London and the South East.

The main occupations of those eschewing office life are senior officials and those in managerial positions, taking advantage of their higher status. Most are self-employed, about two-thirds are men and the trend is growing at a faster rate among older employees.

The figures come from the Office for National Statistics, which uses the term “teleworkers� to descibe those working from home using a telephone and computer.

While 4 per cent of employees were teleworkers in 1997, the rate has now risen to 8 per cent of all workers.

Although 10 per cent of those employed in the affluent South East work from home, just 6 per cent of workers in the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland have the opportunity — or the inclination.

The research found that home-workers have seized the chance bestowed by modern technology to have flexible and independent working days.

However, many who dreamt of idyllic days spent at home have found it brings distinct disadvantages. Some miss the banter with colleagues and daily gossiping around the water cooler, while others suffer from isolation and boredom.

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