Teleworkability and Disadvantaged Socioeconomic Groups: Who Holds These Teleworkable Jobs?

Abstract

This paper adopts the approach used by Brussevich et al. (2020) to identify the worker characteristics associated with an increased probability of working from home. Using the same teleworkability scores in the merged 2015 Philippine Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) and 2016 First Quarter Labor Force Survey (LFS) that Gaduena, Caboverde and Flaminiano (2020) used, this paper estimates a logistic equation to derive the changes in the likelihood of a worker holding a teleworkable job given various socioeconomic characteristics such as income, education levels, age, nature of employment, skill level, type of occupation held, and industry of employment. The results show that certain demographic characteristics are associated with the greater likelihood of being able to telework such as higher income, education levels attained, and age. The results also suggest that the industry where the worker is employed determines if the occupation is teleworkable. Workers are less likely to telework in the following industries: arts, entertainment and recreation; accommodation and food service activities; and in administrative and support services. Meanwhile, professionals in the education and financial and insurance sectors are more likely to be in teleworkable occupations. Moving forward, it is important to consider the vulnerable groups in the formulation of government policy responses meant to mitigate the effects of the adverse economic shocks brought by different crises. The need for wide-ranging social protection mechanisms, with assistance distributed efficiently and in a timely manner, has also been highlighted by the current pandemic.