Cell Phone Data Suggest Persistent Differences in Work from Home by Income, Race, and Education during the Pandemic

Kim, Sungil; Çakır Melek, Nida

Journal Article

Cell Phone Data Suggest Persistent Differences in Work from Home by Income, Race, and Education during the Pandemic

Abstract: Social-distancing policies to combat the spread of COVID-19 led to an initial spike in work from home. We use high-frequency cell phone geolocation data to assess how work from home has evolved since then. We show that work from home declined as restrictions eased but remains above pre-pandemic levels. In addition, we find that differences across income, race, and education in work from home that emerged with the pandemic persist a year later.

Keywords: Work from home; COVID-19; Pandemic; Cell Phone; Mobile Phone; Telework;

JEL Classification: I15; J21; J22;