IMF-在家工作在发展中经济体会继续吗？（英）-2023.5-44页

The IMF working paper examines the persistence of remote work in developing economies post-COVID-19. It highlights substantial cross-country variations in telework adoption, with countries like Argentina and Peru showing significant increases (up to 17.6 percentage points) in telework days per week, while others like Indonesia saw minimal changes. Factors such as internet access and educational attainment explain some disparities, but much of the cross-country variation remains unexplained, suggesting institutional or policy influences.

Upon the pandemic's onset, an income discount for remote work (estimated at 33% in 2019) disappeared, likely due to forced remote work preferences driven by pandemic concerns. However, by late 2021, an income discount partially re-emerged, influenced by higher educational levels. A simple model separates preferences from profitability, showing a clear increase in preference for remote work among highly educated workers, but mixed results for lower education groups, possibly due to skill mismatches or technology barriers like limited internet access.

The paper concludes that remote work may not sustain universally, due to factors like externalities amplifying small fundamental differences. It emphasizes that low-income obstacles, such as lack of digital infrastructure, could prevent widespread adoption, contrasting with findings in advanced economies. This contributes to the ongoing debate by underscoring unique developmental challenges in managing remote work feasibility and equity.