Working from Home Declines Only Slightly in Germany

The proportion of employees working from home in Germany fell only slightly over the summer. It stood at 24.5 percent in August, down from 24.9 percent in April, according to the ifo Institute survey. “The obligation to let people work from home expired in March, yet the proportion of employees who do so has fallen only minimally since then. Apparently, companies and employees have settled on remote working for the long term,” says Jean-Victor Alipour of the ifo Institute. “Government regulations on work-from-home programs in the fall are unlikely to have much additional effect.”

The average figure hides large differences between industries: In the service sector, 35.5 percent of employees are working from home; in wholesale, the figure is 15.5 percent; in manufacturing 15.3 percent; in retail 5.4 percent; and in construction 5.1 percent. Management consultancies are out in front at 71.5 percent, followed by IT service providers at 71.3 percent and information service providers at 70.6 percent. Bringing up the rear are manufacturers of wood, straw, and plaiting material articles with 4.0 percent, hospitality with 1.7 percent, and hotels with 1.0 percent of employees working from home.