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Productivity of Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Firm Survey

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  • MORIKAWA Masayuki

Abstract

This study examines the prevalence, frequency, and productivity of the working from home (WFH) arrangement in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic using data from an original firm survey. The results reveal that about half of the firms that responded to the survey adopted the WFH arrangement. The mean WFH intensity, or the contribution of WFH to the total labor input, was approximately 23% among firms that adopted the WFH arrangement. The mean WFH productivity relative to working at the typical workplace was approximately 68%. However, large dispersions are observed in both WFH intensity and WFH productivity. The results obtained from the firm survey are generally consistent with the observations from the employee survey.

Suggested Citation

  • MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2021. "Productivity of Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Firm Survey," Discussion papers 21002, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    • Handle: RePEc:eti:dpaper:21002
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    Cited by:

    1. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2021. "Productivity of Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Panel Data Analysis," Discussion papers 21078, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2022. "Productivity Dynamics of Work from Home since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a panel of firm surveys," Discussion papers 22061, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    3. Gilles Duranton & Jessie Handbury, 2023. "COVID and Cities, Thus Far," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 29(2), pages 6-52, October.
    4. Daiji Kawaguchi & Sagiri Kitao & Manabu Nose, 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on Japanese firms: mobility and resilience via remote work," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1419-1449, December.

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