Summary
Unemployment claims dropped again Thursday, and this week may also bring a clearer picture of what's happening with the job market. As more Americans get vaccinated, workers and companies are figuring out what post-pandemic work life will look like — and how it may change permanently.- Many companies thought working from home would lower productivity, but often the opposite was true — employees were able to get more work done in their own homes. Employers were also able to hire workers from a wider geographical area to work remotely.
- Many employees also preferred working from home and the flexibility to balance work and home responsibilities, including picking up children from school in the middle of the day.
- There are disadvantages and inequities, however. For instance, working from home is available more to higher-paid, white-collar employees. Some without access to reliable internets, such as those in rural areas, were excluded. And employees also missed some of the collaborative and social aspects of office work or had difficulty drawing a clear line between work and personal time when working remotely.
Five Facts
- Who was interviewed in this piece and what are their backgrounds?
- Why did some business executives change their minds about remote work?
- What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of remote work according to those interviewed here?
- How does remote work offer advantages to some and disadvantages to others?
- When and Where did workers start working remotely, and what workers were excluded from remote work?
Focus Questions
Would you prefer to work from home more, or do you prefer being at an office/school? What do you think is the right balance, and why? Who do you think is most disadvantaged or left behind if more people and businesses shift to remote workplaces? Media literacy: Who else would you want to hear from about how the pandemic changed the way people work that wasn't featured in this segment?For More
- To understand how COVID has affected the economy over the past year, you can try this Kahoot quiz made last year.
- Take a look at this Daily News Lesson on the economy and its fits and starts recovery.
