The gendered employment effects of working from home in Europe: pre- and post-pandemic findings from a dynamic panel data analysis

This study examines the effects of work-from-home (WFH) patterns (regular and occasional) on employment in European countries between 2015 and 2023, focusing on gender differences and post-pandemic labour market changes. Using dynamic panel data analysis, it assesses WFH’s impact on employment. The findings show that regular WFH had no significant effect on overall employment throughout the period but increased female employment post-pandemic while having no impact on male employment. Occasional WFH also showed no significant effect during the entire period but led to a decline in overall employment after the pandemic. However, in the post-pandemic period, occasional WFH positively affected overall employment, with a stronger impact on female. The results highlight the positive role of WFH models in supporting female employment and their influence on gender-based differences in the labour market post-pandemic.