An evaluation of the demand for telework and smart work centres in rural areas: A case study from Latvia

Abstract

Rural territories face significant challenges in a globalised world as the number of jobs in traditional rural sectors are decreasing. At the same time, information and communication technologies as well as the changes in professional duties allow the rural community to participate in the knowledge economy distantly. In order to evaluate the potential of telework 1335 inhabitants (0.07% of the population) were surveyed in Latvia. A detailed analysis was conducted in two rural municipalities (Balvi and Limbazi) that face different socio-economic challenges. The results of the survey show a high demand for telework in Latvia rather insensitive to the gender, age and the place of residence of the respondents. People in less populated areas are also interested in socialising and professional networking activities in smart work centres - special premises for teleworking.