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35 36<title>Spatial Implications of Telecommuting | Matt Delventhal</title> 37</head> 38<body id=top data-spy=scroll data-offset=70 data-target=#TableOfContents class=page-wrapper data-wc-page-id=a191f2a8bf0e95ed055b4a2fac749441>
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39 40<aside class=search-modal id=search> 41<div class=container> 42<section class=search-header> 43<div class="row no-gutters justify-content-between mb-3"> 44<div class=col-6> 45<h1>Search</h1> 46</div> 47<div class="col-6 col-search-close"> 48<a class=js-search href=# aria-label=Close><i class="fas fa-times-circle text-muted" aria-hidden=true></i></a> 49</div> 50</div> 51<div id=search-box> 52<input name=q id=search-query placeholder=Search... autocapitalize=off autocomplete=off autocorrect=off spellcheck=false type=search class=form-control aria-label=Search...> 53</div> 54</section> 55<section class=section-search-results> 56<div id=search-hits> 57</div> 58</section> 59</div> 60</aside> 61<div class=page-header> 62<header class=header--fixed> 63<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light compensate-for-scrollbar" id=navbar-main> 64<div class=container-xl> 65<div class="d-none d-lg-inline-flex"> 66<a class=navbar-brand href=/>Matt Delventhal</a> 67</div> 68<button type=button class=navbar-toggler data-toggle=collapse data-target=#navbar-content aria-controls=navbar-content aria-expanded=false aria-label="Toggle navigation"> 69<span><i class="fas fa-bars"></i></span> 70</button> 71<div class="navbar-brand-mobile-wrapper d-inline-flex d-lg-none"> 72<a class=navbar-brand href=/>Matt Delventhal</a> 73</div> 74<div class="navbar-collapse main-menu-item collapse justify-content-start" id=navbar-content> 75<ul class="navbar-nav d-md-inline-flex"> 76<li class=nav-item> 77<a class=nav-link href=/#about><span>Home</span></a> 78</li> 79<li class=nav-item> 80<a class=nav-link href=/#featured><span>Research</span></a> 81</li> 82<li class=nav-item> 83<a class=nav-link href=/#posts><span>Posts</span></a> 84</li> 85<li class=nav-item> 86<a class=nav-link href=/#projects><span>Projects</span></a> 87</li> 88<li class=nav-item> 89<a class=nav-link href=/#contact><span>Contact</span></a> 90</li> 91<li class=nav-item> 92<a class=nav-link href=/uploads/mdelventhal-cv.pdf><span>CV</span></a> 93</li> 94</ul> 95</div> 96<ul class="nav-icons navbar-nav flex-row ml-auto d-flex pl-md-2"> 97<li class=nav-item> 98<a class="nav-link js-search" href=# aria-label=Search><i class="fas fa-search" aria-hidden=true></i></a> 99</li> 100<li class="nav-item dropdown theme-dropdown"> 101<a href=# class=nav-link data-toggle=dropdown aria-haspopup=true aria-label="Display preferences"> 102<i class="fas fa-moon" aria-hidden=true></i> 103</a> 104<div class=dropdown-menu> 105<a href=# class="dropdown-item js-set-theme-light"> 106<span>Light</span> 107</a> 108<a href=# class="dropdown-item js-set-theme-dark"> 109<span>Dark</span> 110</a> 111<a href=# class="dropdown-item js-set-theme-auto"> 112<span>Automatic</span> 113</a> 114</div> 115</li> 116</ul> 117</div> 118</nav> 119</header> 120</div> 121<div class=page-body> 122<div class=pub> 123<div class="article-container pt-3"> 124<h1>Spatial Implications of Telecommuting</h1> 125<div class=article-metadata> 126<div> 127<span class=author-highlighted> 128Matt Delventhal</span>, <span> 129<a href=https://www.andrii-parkhomenko.com/ title="Visit Andrii's website">Andrii Parkhomenko</a></span> 130</div> 131<span class=article-date> 132December, 2024 133</span> 134</div> 135<div class="btn-links mb-3"> 136<a class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-page-header" href=/publication/spatial_implications_telecommuting/DelventhalParkhomenko_Telecommuting.pdf target=_blank rel=noopener> 137PDF 138</a> 139<a href=# class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-page-header js-cite-modal" data-filename=/publication/spatial_implications_telecommuting/cite.bib> 140Cite 141</a> 142<a class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-page-header" href=https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3746555 target=_blank rel=noopener> 143DOI 144</a> 145<a class="btn btn-outline-primary btn-page-header" href=/project/telecommute_viz/> 146Data + visualization</a> 147</div> 148</div> 149<div class="article-header article-container featured-image-wrapper mt-4 mb-4" style=max-width:720px;max-height:391px> 150<div style=position:relative> 151<img src=/publication/spatial_implications_telecommuting/featured_hu011398dcbc3e0ad86a36e901879937e9_339859_720x2500_fit_q75_h2_lanczos_3.webp width=720 height=391 alt class=featured-image> 152<span class=article-header-caption>Change in residents, NYC metro area</span> 153</div> 154</div> 155<div class=article-container> 156<h3>Abstract</h3> 157<p class=pub-abstract>
157We build a quantitative spatial model in which some workers can substitute on-site effort with work done from home. Ability and propensity to telecommute vary by education and industry. We quantify our framework to match the distribution of jobs and residents across 4,502 U.S. locations. Then we simulate permanent increases in the attractiveness and productivity of telework that lead to greater adoption of hybrid and fully remote work. To validate our model, we show that our results are positively correlated with local changes in residents and housing costs observed 2019–2023. The rise of telework results in a rich non-monotonic pattern of reallocations of residents and jobs within and across cities. Workers who can telecommute experience welfare gains, and those who cannot suffer losses. Broader access to jobs reduces wage inequality across residential locations, and heralds a partial reversal in the spatial concentration of talent and spending power known as the ``Great Divergence.''</p> 158<div class=row> 159<div class=col-md-1></div> 160<div class=col-md-10> 161<div class=row> 162<div class="col-12 col-md-3 pub-row-heading">Type</div> 163<div class="col-12 col-md-9"> 164<a href=/publication/#3> 165Preprint 166</a> 167</div> 168</div> 169</div> 170<div class=col-md-1></div> 171</div> 172<div class="d-md-none space-below"></div> 173<div class=row> 174<div class=col-md-1></div> 175<div class=col-md-10> 176<div class=row> 177<div class="col-12 col-md-3 pub-row-heading">Publication</div> 178<div class="col-12 col-md-9">Working Paper</div> 179</div> 180</div> 181<div class=col-md-1></div> 182</div> 183<div class="d-md-none space-below"></div> 184<div class=space-below></div> 185<div class=article-style><p>Data and interactive visualizations can be had through this nifty online app: <a href=../../project/telecommute_viz/ title="accompanying online app">Visualizing the Future of Remote Work</a>.</p> 186<p><strong>Media:</strong> <a href=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-20/covid-los-angeles-cities-remote-work title="LA Times" target=_blank rel=noopener>LA Times</a>, <a href=https://skift.com/2021/06/04/the-economic-dark-side-of-the-global-remote-work-movement/ title=Skift target=_blank rel=noopener>Skift</a>, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90635703/watch-these-4-trends-to-see-where-rent-prices-are-headed-after-the-pandemic?mc_cid=aa121d95f8" title="Fast Company" target=_blank rel=noopener>Fast Company</a>, <a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-working-cities-in-america/10424#expert=Andrii_Parkhomenko" title=Wallethub target=_blank rel=noopener>Wallethub</a></p> 187</div> 188<div class=article-tags> 189<a class="badge badge-light" href=/tag/urban/>Urban</a> 190<a class="badge badge-light" href=/tag/telecommuting/>Telecommuting</a> 191</div> 192<div class="media author-card content-widget-hr"> 193<a href=https://mattdelventhal.com><img class="avatar mr-3 avatar-circle" src=/authors/mdelventhal/avatar_hufd6c8390a3985e411dedef866601d338_318098_270x270_fill_q75_lanczos_center.jpg alt="Matt Delventhal"></a> 194<div class=media-body> 195<h5 class=card-title><a href=https://mattdelventhal.com>Matt Delventhal</a></h5> 196<ul class=network-icon aria-hidden=true> 197<li> 198<a href=mailto:[email protected]> 199<i class="fas fa-envelope"></i> 200</a> 201</li> 202<li> 203<a href=https://twitter.com/mattd_econ target=_blank rel=noopener> 204<i class="fab fa-twitter"></i> 205</a> 206</li> 207<li> 208<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OhhkFg4AAAAJ" target=_blank rel=noopener> 209<i class="ai ai-google-scholar"></i> 210</a> 211</li> 212<li> 213<a href=https://ideas.repec.org/f/pde1130.html target=_blank rel=noopener> 214<i class="ai ai-ideas-repec"></i> 215</a> 216</li> 217<li> 218<a href=https://github.com/mdelventhal target=_blank rel=noopener> 219<i class="fab fa-github"></i> 220</a> 221</li> 222<li> 223<a href=https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-delventhal-017b7629/ target=_blank rel=noopener> 224<i class="fab fa-linkedin"></i> 225</a> 226</li> 227<li> 228<a href=/uploads/mdelventhal-cv.pdf> 229<i class="ai ai-cv"></i> 230</a> 231</li> 232</ul> 233</div> 234</div> 235</div> 236</div> 237</div> 238<div class=page-footer> 239<div class=container> 240<footer class=site-footer> 241<p class="powered-by copyright-license-text"> 242© 2026 Me. This work is licensed under <a href=https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 rel="noopener noreferrer" target=_blank>CC BY NC ND 4.0</a> 243</p> 244<p class="powered-by footer-license-icons"> 245<a href=https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 rel="noopener noreferrer" target=_blank aria-label="Creative
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