The great rebalancing: working from home fuels rise of the 'secondary city'

Amy Kaper has never met her colleagues. Though her employer is based in Washington DC, she works from her apartment in Arizona. Kaper’s chronic health issues made an office job difficult, and working remotely – in IT in the healthcare industry – gives her more autonomy, and more time. “It was a huge adjustment – but I feel really lucky,” she says. This year, the proportion of Americans working from home like Kaper has skyrocketed – from 8% in February to 35% in May. Most countries have experienced a similar jump during the pandemic, as remote working has gone from a fringe benefit to a necessity. Analysis suggests roughly 28% of jobs in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK can be carried out remotely, and as many as 37% in the US.