Working from home and income inequality: risks of a ‘new normal’ with COVID-19

Abstract

Since the beginning of the pandemic, working from home has been a great resource, allowing to continue working while limiting the infection spread risk. Nevertheless, the literature neglects potential effects of such a working mode on the income inequality. Relying on data from the INAPP’s Eighth Survey on Labour Participation and Unemployment (INAPP-PLUS 2018), our results show that an increase in the working from home feasibility levels would increase the income inequality among employees. In particular, this phenomenon would tend to advantage more: males, older employees, graduates, high-paid employees.