Between 19 and 30 January 2022, 36% of working adults reported having worked from home at least once in the last seven days because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Almost half (46%) of these homeworkers said they spent less as a result of homeworking because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A similar proportion of homeworkers reported spending less when interviewed in November (49%).
The area where homeworkers most commonly saw spending increase was utility bills, where 86% reported their spending had risen.
Half of homeworkers (50%) reported spending less on fuel and parking for commuting, and two fifths (40%) reported spending less on commuting using public transport.
Around 9 in 10 homeworkers who live in rented housing (92%) reported increased spending on utilities, compared with 86% of those who are currently paying a mortgage and 77% of homeworkers who own their home outright.
Homeworkers with dependent children are slightly more likely to report increased spending on food (39%), utilities (89%), and internet access (27%) than those without dependent children (29%, 85% and 23%) respectively.
The percentage of people homeworking is positively correlated with the stringency of COVID-19 restrictions and negatively correlated with aggregate spending on debit and credit cards.
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