Acceleration of Remote Work and Coworking Practices in Estonia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Estonia is a country with a small economy and a high level of digitalization that was more ready for remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic than many other countries. This paper shows how a small and flexible society with its institutions reacted to turbulent times and what developments it has brought along. We use data from Statistics Estonia and other public sources, as well as previous qualitative studies on coworking spaces in Estonia. We conclude that employees’ preferences towards hybridity and remote practices and the readiness of employers to meet them, supported by the high pre-pandemic level of digitalization and developed ICT sector, could improve the revitalization of rural and deprived regions and reduce the socioeconomic disparities across Estonia.