The teleworking paradox: the geography of residential mobility of workers in pandemic times

Abstract

Spatial disparities in quality of life drive population movement between regions. This study explores how concerns related to remote work and health influence intentions to migrate between urban and rural areas in Europe. Using data from a large-scale survey conducted during the pandemic, we identify an indirect effect of occupation on migration intentions through preferences for teleworking. However, we do not find evidence of a direct relationship between occupation and teleworking. We term this phenomenon the “teleworking paradox”. To explain the paradox, we propose and test two mechanisms: economic agglomeration and health amenities. These mechanisms predict how workers in different occupations interact differently with place-specific factors. While evidence for the health amenity explanation is somewhat stronger than for the agglomeration mechanism, it remains mixed. Our findings suggest that the pandemic is unlikely to significantly narrow urban–rural disparities in Europe.