The advent of remote work marked the beginning of a profound transformation in cities’ economies—changes that are likely to continue to play out long after the worst of the pandemic that sparked the work-from-home revolution is over.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a massive exodus from city centers, as remote work allowed employees to trade in small expensive apartments for larger, cheaper suburban homes. In the U.S., the percentage of people working remotely has tripled since the pandemic began, rising from 5.7% of the workforce in 2019 to 17.9% in 2021, according to Census data.
