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University of California Press

Going Remote

How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and Our Cities

by Matthew E. Kahn (Author)
Price: $26.95 / £23.00
Publication Date: Apr 2022
Edition: 1st Edition
Title Details:
Rights: World
Pages: 264
ISBN: 9780520384323
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.25

About the Book

A leading urban economist's hopeful study of how shifts to remote work can change all of our lives for the better.
 
As COVID-19 descended upon the country in 2020, millions of American office workers transitioned to working from home to reduce risk of infection and prevent spread of the virus. In the aftermath of this shift, a significant number of workers remain at least partially remote. It is clear that this massive experiment we were forced to run will have long-term consequences, changing the shape of our personal and work lives, as well as the urban landscape around us. How will the rise of telecommuting affect workers' quality of life, the profitability of firms, and the economic geography of our cities and suburbs? Going Remote addresses the uncertainties and possibilities of this moment.

In Going Remote, urban economist Matthew E. Kahn takes readers on a journey through the new remote-work economy, revealing how people will configure their lives when they have more freedom to choose where they work and how they live. Melding ideas from labor economics, family economics, the theory of the firm, and urban economics, Kahn paints a realistic picture of the future for workers, firms, and urban areas, big and small. As Kahn shows, the rise of remote work presents especially valuable opportunities for flexibility and equity in the lives of women, minorities, and young people, and even for those whose jobs do not allow them to work from home. Uncovering key implications for our quality of life, Going Remote demonstrates how the rise of remote work can significantly improve the standard of living for millions of people by expanding personal freedom, changing the arc of how we live, work, and play.

About the Author

Matthew E. Kahn is Provost Professor at the University of Southern California. He is author of six previous books about environmental and urban economics issues.

Table of Contents

Introduction: No Going Back

I · Workers
1 Short-Run Gains for Workers
2 Medium-Term Gains for Workers

II · Firms
3 How Will Firms Adapt?

III · Locations
4 The Rise of Remote Work and Superstar Cities
5 New Opportunities for Other Areas 

Conclusion: The New Geography of Jobs 

Acknowledgments
Notes
Recommended Reading
Index 

Reviews

"Going Remote is more than a book; it’s a roadmap to a new way of working and living. It challenges our preconceived notions about work, passion, and place. In a world where remote work is becoming the norm, Kahn’s insights provide hope and practical solutions for a brighter future."
Comstock’s Magazine
"A thought-provoking analysis of the effects of working from home on the economic geography of the US by one of the leading urban economists."—Enrico Moretti, author of The New Geography of Jobs

"Going Remote is a thoughtful analysis of the working-from-home phenomenon written by one of the world's leading urban and environmental economists. This engaging book provides a tour of the future—at least as Matthew Kahn sees it—and will help readers understand the social, environmental, and economic consequences of telecommuting."—Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University

"A necessary, thorough, and thoughtful treatment of the economics of remote work. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the profound and wide-ranging impacts that remote work is likely to bring to how we live and work."—Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist, Upwork