Even though there are currently ongoing debates about returning to the office, the Munich-based Ifo Institute has determined that home office rates are stable. And job advertisements are even at an all-time high.
The Munich-based Ifo Institute believes that the debates that keep flaring up about a widespread return to home offices are exaggerated. The picture is growing that this debate is a “hype” “that is not reflected in the data,” says Ifo expert Jean-Victor Alipour. On average, employees in Germany spend 17 percent of their working time at home, according to a recent Ifo company survey – the same amount as a year ago.
Other data also show that “home office is by no means on the decline,” says Alipour. Currently, 23.4 percent of employees are working from home at least partially. This is only a minimal decline since February. In addition, an analysis of job advertisements has shown that home office is being offered as an option much more frequently. Most recently, the figure reached a high of around 21 percent.
Employers who want to take advantage of on-site working could do so primarily by better coordinating attendance, says Alipour. The key is that people are on site together.
How much of the working time is spent at home depends very much on the industry. While it is 58 percent in IT and 50 percent in management consulting, the rate is much lower in the accommodation sector at 1 percent and in the catering and construction sectors at around 2 percent. The average for industry is 10 percent. The size of the company also continues to play a role. For large companies it is 20 percent, for small and medium-sized companies it is 15 percent.
Source: Stern
