BARC and Bay Area Council Economic Institute Release New Report on Remote Work
BARC partnered with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute on a study(link is external) on remote work in the Bay Area that was released today. The study analyzes the number of workers eligible to work remotely and the potential longer-term economic, environmental, and equity impacts of sustained remote work in the region.
“The study highlights both the potential upside and downside of remote work for businesses and workers alike” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, Chair of the BARC Governing Board, in a press release(link is external). “It makes clear that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for managing the range of possible outcomes. As we emerge out of the pandemic and consider lasting structural changes, we need to be flexible and adaptive, and make sure we’re asking the right questions.”
This analysis finds that while the Bay Area has a higher percentage of jobs eligible for remote work than any other major metropolitan region in the state, the move away from commercial office centers could put at risk hundreds of thousands of service and support jobs, dramatically alter commute and transit patterns and disproportionately affect minority and lower-income communities.
Remote Work in the Bay Area, Bay Area Council Economic Institute