How Equality Between Women and Men is Affected by Remote Work

On behalf of the Swedish government, we compile knowledge about how remote work affects gender equality in the labor market.

Background

The Covid-19 pandemic and the shift to remote work changed the labor market, even after it became possible to work in the workplace again. Studies conducted during the pandemic show that working remotely from home affected men and women in different ways. International studies indicate that existing inequalities in working life were reinforced in terms of stress, career opportunities and skills development, for example. The Swedish Agency for Work environment Expertise are going to collect knowledge about remote work during and after the pandemic affects gender equality in the labor market.

The questions of the systematic literature review:

  • How does remote work affect equality between women and men?
  • How does remote work affect equality in the labor market based on who has the opportunity/chooses to work remotely and those who do not have/do not?

– This feels very exciting and interesting, I hope that the work will help to shed light on how remote work affects equality in the labor market today and whether it differs between different groups. More knowledge is clearly needed about what our remote working after the pandemic is doing to gender equality, says Johan Stenmark, a lead process analyst in The Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise.

Johan Stenmark, a lead process analyst in The Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise.

Presentation of the results

The result is going to be presented through a literature review and an analysis report. The goal is that the literature review should also draw attention to other patterns of inequality related to remote work that can affect equality in the labor market. There may be geographic differences and differences related to ethnicity, age, sexuality and functional variations.

The result is going to be presented to the government in February 22, 2025.