Study: Working from home and commuting in the Montréal area according to language profile, 2021
Released: 2024-10-15
In 2021, working from home was more common among English speakers (35.3%) than French speakers (23.9%) in the Montréal metropolitan area.
This is one finding from the study "Working from home and commuting in the Montréal area according to language profile," released today, which uses data from the Census of Population. The study looks at how the unique circumstances of 2021, which drove the increase in working from home, affected English- and French-speaking workers differently. It examines the differences in commuting time between home and work, as well as the prevalence of working from home and of commuting between the different subregions of the Montréal metropolitan area.
The Montréal metropolitan area is of particular interest because of its linguistic makeup, the geographical distribution of its population, and the complex dynamics of commuting flows on its territory.
Working from home increases, commuting to Montréal Island declines, while commutes within the suburbs remain stable
In 2021, just over one-quarter (25.8%) of the 2.1 million workers in the Montréal metropolitan area reported working from home. This is almost four times the proportion observed in 2016.
In 2021, the proportion of people working from home was higher among residents of Montréal Island and Greater Longueuil than elsewhere in the greater metropolitan area. It was also generally higher in the central neighbourhoods of Montréal Island. The proportion of English-speaking workers in these neighbourhoods is higher than in the rest of the metropolitan area.
Chart 1
Proportion of workers who were mainly working from home, by language spoken predominantly at home and place of residence, 2021
Moreover, the relative frequency of commutes to a fixed workplace on Montréal Island decreased from 2016 to 2021, especially from a home in the suburbs. However, these commutes were more common among English-speaking workers.
In contrast, the proportion of workers in the suburbs who commuted within their subregion of residence (Laurentides, Montérégie-Ouest, etc.) remained relatively constant from 2016 to 2021, both among French- and English-speaking workers. These commutes were generally more common among French-speaking workers.
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Note to readers
French-speaking worker, English-speaking worker
A worker is a person aged 15 and over who was employed during the week of May 2 to 8, 2021.
For the purposes of this analysis, the language profile of workers is determined by the language spoken predominantly at home.
Working from home and commuting
Workers whose main place of work, i.e., the place they worked the most hours, is their home are considered to work from home. Commuting refers to workers travelling between their place of residence and their main place of work.
Montréal metropolitan area and subregions
The Montréal metropolitan area referred to in this study corresponds to the Montréal census metropolitan area. The description of its seven subregions can be found in the study.
Products
The publication "Working from home and commuting in the Montréal area according to language profile," which is part of the Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series (89-657-X), is now available.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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