Working from home: an update

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For many workers, the only tools they need to complete their tasks are a computer and a connection to the Internet. Because this information technology is readily available at home, more people are choosing to telework. The proportion of people working from home—both employees and the self-employed—has grown from 17% in 2000 to 19% in 2008.

Among employees, the number working from home has increased, from 1.4 million in 2000 to 1.7 million in 2008. While there is an upward trend, the proportion has remained relatively stable. In 2008, 11% of employees worked from home, 1 percentage point more than in 2000.

For self-employed workers, however, the incidence of working from home has increased more substantially. Their participation rate climbed from 54% in 2006 to 60% in 2008, for a total of 1.8 million workers. In Canada, 15% of all workers are self-employed, yet they account for about half of those who work from home.

View data source for chart 19.3