When remote work works and when it doesn't

Do office workers get as much done working from home as they do in person? We've been debating this question for years. At the beginning of the pandemic, many economists thought yes, people can be just as productive from home. Wouldn't it have been nice if they'd just stopped there? Well, they didn't. And new evidence suggests working from home, at least full-time, may not be as productive as we once thought. Some of the research referenced in this show:Jose Maria Barrero, Nicholas Bloom and Steven J. Davis – The Evolution of Working from HomeNatalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington – Working Remotely?Natalia Emanuel, Emma Harrington and Amanda Pallais – The Power of Proximity to Coworkers For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy