Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

68 followers 26 following 20 posts

School of Geography and Sustainable Development
University of St Andrews @uniofstandrews.bsky.social

Posts Replies Media Videos

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

To health and food security for small-scale fishers...

Small-scale fishing in the Peruvian desert

November 19, 2025 at 9:09 AM

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

To forests...

November 19, 2025 at 9:06 AM

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

From glaciers...

Conceptual schematic of water inflows and outflows in the Kangerlussuaq Trough, Southeastern Greenland

November 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM

Reposted by St Andrews Geography & SD

ESRC Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations

@cpc-cg.bsky.social

And for the full analysis and findings, explore the #workingfromhome project report

www.cpc.ac.uk/docs/2025_Wo...

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social @dmuleicester.bsky.social
@anne-e-green.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social
@jackiewahba.bsky.social @arminegh.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social

Image shows front cover of the ESRC Centre for Population Change Report: Working from home: Impacts on residential mobility and spatial inequality

The report cover has an image of Birmingham Centenary Square, Image credit istock.com/holgs 2022.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The propensity of individuals to work from home (WFH) all or some of the time (known as remote
and hybrid working respectively) has proliferated since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early
2020. The growth of WFH has been particularly pronounced amongst skilled workers. The rise of
WFH, in effectively decoupling the geography of home and work, in theory presents opportunities
for addressing regional inequalities. In the UK case this would involve the redistribution of human
capital and economic activity from areas with ‘overheating’ property markets to other relatively
affordable parts of the country, thus producing a more equitable distribution of human capital and
productive economic activity.
The main objective of this research is to elucidate the relationship between WFH and residential
mobility amongst skilled workers and to consider its implications for spatial inequalities. The analysis
draws on the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) and a three-city case study approach to
assess how the rise of WFH has influenced residential mobilities and the distribution of human
capital in the UK.
The investigation concludes that the types of places that were doing relatively well pre-pandemic
have continued to do so post-pandemic in terms of their ability to attract and retain human capital.
The residential mobility of skilled human capital has not been drastically changed by the rise in WFH.
The potential for WFH to transform spatial inequalities is thus limited.
This paper also contains critical reflections on the availability of secondary quantitative data to
address these important policy topics and offers some recommendations in this respect.

May 15, 2025 at 12:12 PM

Reposted by St Andrews Geography & SD

ESRC Centre for Population Change and Connecting Generations

@cpc-cg.bsky.social

📗 In the 2nd #workingfromhome project policy briefing, David McCollum @standrewssgsd.bsky.social assesses who works from home and where, and what this means for residential mobility and the distribution of skilled human capital across the country @rgsibg.bsky.social

www.cpc.ac.uk/docs/PB84_Wo...

CPC-CG Policy Briefing 84 front cover, published May 2025.

Working from home: Implications for residential mobility and spatial
inequalities

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in early 2020, more people have started working from home either all of the time (working remotely) or some of the time (hybrid working). In the UK, this rapid increase has
been particularly noticeable among high-skill workers. This presents opportunities for addressing regional inequalities. For example, it could lead to people and businesses moving from expensive areas with overheating property markets to other relatively affordable ones, spreading skills and economic activity more evenly across
the country.
This briefing assesses who works from home and where, and what this means for residential mobility and the distribution of skilled human capital across the country. The analysis finds little evidence that the rise in working from home is reshaping residential mobilities. However, limited data makes it hard to tell if the changes are simply not being captured in the available data.

May 15, 2025 at 10:24 AM

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

4/ 🧠 The event sparked rich discussion and pointed to the need for evidence-based, inclusive policy on the future of work.

Read the full story now on our website 👇
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/geography-su...
#ESRC #FutureOfWork #GeographicalInequality #EconomicDevelopment #WFH

April 7, 2025 at 2:12 PM

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

3/ The team highlighted 3 key priorities for future research:
1️⃣ Better geographic data on WFH
2️⃣ Deeper insight into employer preferences
3️⃣ New thinking on WFH & local economic development

April 7, 2025 at 2:12 PM

St Andrews Geography & SD

@standrewssgsd.bsky.social

2/ A key takeaway: Although #WFH is now widespread, it remains concentrated among graduates and those in higher-status occupations. As such, it is unlikely to significantly reduce geographical inequalities. 📉 #RemoteWork

April 7, 2025 at 2:12 PM