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Working from home and the explosion of enduring divides: income, employment and safety risks

Author

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  • A. Cetrulo

    (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna)

  • D. Guarascio

    (Sapienza University of Rome
    Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna)

  • M. E. Virgillito

    (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna)

Abstract

Why are there so many non-teleworkable occupations? Is teleworking only a matter of ICT usage or does it also reflect the division of labour and the underlying hierarchical layers inside organizations? What does it happen to those workers not able to telework in terms of socio-economic risks, and how does the gender dimension interact with risk stratification? Hereby, we intend to shed light on these questions using a detailed integrated dataset at individual and occupational level (Indagine Campionaria delle Professioni, Indagine delle Forze di Lavoro and Inail archive) which provides information on different nature of risks (income, employment and safety). Our results entail that, first, class attributes, intended as execution of tasks, degrees of autonomy in doing the job, layers of the occupational categories, strongly influence the chance of working from home; second, those individuals who are not able to perform their work remotely are more exposed to transition to unemployment, to earn low wages, and to safety and health risks; third, being woman and employed with a temporary contract significantly amplify risk stratification.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Cetrulo & D. Guarascio & M. E. Virgillito, 2022. "Working from home and the explosion of enduring divides: income, employment and safety risks," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(2), pages 345-402, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolit:v:39:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s40888-021-00251-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s40888-021-00251-7
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    1. Yanira Marcela Oviedo-Gil & Favio Ernesto Cala Vitery, 2023. "Teleworking and Job Quality in Latin American Countries: A Comparison from an Impact Approach in 2021," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, April.
    2. A. Cetrulo & A. Sbardella & M. E. Virgillito, 2023. "Vanishing social classes? Facts and figures of the Italian labour market," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 97-148, January.
    3. Severin Reissl & Alessandro Caiani & Francesco Lamperti & Mattia Guerini & Fabio Vanni & Giorgio Fagiolo & Tommaso Ferraresi & Leonardo Ghezzi & Mauro Napoletano & Andrea Roventini, 2022. "Assessing the Economic Impact of Lockdowns in Italy: A Computational Input–Output Approach [Nonlinear Production Networks with an Application to the Covid-19 Crisis]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(2), pages 358-409.
    4. Manwel Debono & Christine Garzia, 2023. "Trade Union Members’ Experiences and Attitudes towards Working from Home during the Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Nelli, Linnea & Virgillito, Maria Enrica, 2023. "More than a She-recession: Long-term feminization and short-term pandemic effects," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1291, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Ernst, Ekkehard & Merola, Rossana & Reljic, Jelena, 2024. "Fiscal policy instruments for inclusive labour markets: A review," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1406, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    7. Ruth D. Neill & Patricia Gillen & John Moriarty & Jill Manthorpe & John Mallett & Heike Schroder & Denise Currie & Patricia Nicholl & Jermaine Ravalier & Susan McGrory & Paula McFadden, 2022. "Comparing Psychological Wellbeing and Work-Related Quality of Life between Professional Groups within Health and Social Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK," Merits, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-13, November.
    8. Severin Reissl & Alessandro Caiani & Francesco Lamperti & Tommaso Ferraresi & Leonardo Ghezzi, 2024. "A regional input-output model of the COVID-19 crisis in Italy: decomposing demand and supply factors," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(1), pages 100-130, January.
    9. Jelena Reljic & Francesco Zezza, 2024. "Breaking the Divide: Can Public Spending on Social Infrastructure Boost Female Employment in Italy?," Working Papers in Public Economics 246, University of Rome La Sapienza, Department of Economics and Law.
    10. Stöllinger, Roman & Guarascio, Dario, 2023. "Comparative advantages in the digital era–A Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek approach," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 63-89.
    11. Marta Fana & Francesco Sabato Massimo & Angelo Moro, 2021. "Autonomy and control in mass remote working during the Covid-19 pandemic. Evidence from a cross-professional and cross-national analysis," LEM Papers Series 2021/28, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    12. Lorenz Gschwent & Dario Guarascio & Stefan Jestl & Alireza Sabouniha & Roman Stöllinger, 2023. "Digital Tasks and ICT Capital: Methodologies and Data," wiiw Statistical Reports 11, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    13. Severin Reissl & Alessandro Caiani & Francesco Lamperti & Mattia Guerini & Fabio Vanni & Giorgio Fagiolo & Tommaso Ferraresi & Leonardo Ghezzi & Mauro Napoletano & Andrea Roventini, 2021. "Assessing the economic effects of lockdowns in Italy: a computational Input-Output approach," LEM Papers Series 2021/03, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Occupational structure; Teleworking; COVID-19; Social divides;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • C38 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Classification Methdos; Cluster Analysis; Principal Components; Factor Analysis

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