Where were the homeworking hotspots in 2020?

People in London and the South East were far more likely to work from home at some point during the year, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS said that 25.9% of people surveyed had worked from home in the week prior to being questioned, with more than 36% saying they homeworked at some point in 2020.

It represents a significant increase from the previous year, with many offices moving to more flexible working arrangements due to lockdown restrictions.

Employees in London were more likely to work from home, while many areas in the North and Scotland saw much lower levels of homeworking.

Here we list the 20 areas where the fewest and most people worked from home at some point in 2020.

Areas where fewest people worked from home

South Ayrshire – 9.1%
Burnley – 13.3%
Middlesbrough – 13.7%
Blackpool – 14.5%
Slough – 14.6%
Pendle – 15.3%
South Tyneside – 16.5%
Sandwell – 16.7%
Lincoln – 16.9%
Thurrock – 17.1%
Argyll & Bute – 17.1%
East Ayrshire – 17.3%
West Dunbartonshire – 17.4%
Redcar and Cleveland – 17.6%
North East Lincolnshire – 17.6%
Wolverhampton – 18.3%
Rochdale – 18.5%
Knowsley – 18.7%
North Lanarkshire – 19%
North Lincolnshire -19%

Areas which saw the most people working from home last year

Richmond-upon-Thames – 70.7%
Waverley – 68.1%
Lewisham – 66.4%
Orkney Islands – 66.2%
Kensington & Chelsea – 65.5%
Guildford – 65.1%
Lambeth – 64.4%
Brentwood – 64%
Woking – 63.8%
Basingstoke – 62.9%
Craven – 62.3%
Hackney – 61.7%
Mid Sussex – 61.7%
St Albans – 61%
Wealden – 61%
Bracknell Forest – 60.9%
Derbyshire Dales – 60.5%
Wokingham – 60.3%
Elmbridge – 60.3%
Ribble Valley – 59.5%