Work from home era ending: Statistics Canada

Fewer people working from home New numbers reveal only one in five people are mostly working from home compared to January 2022. CTV's Dylan Dyson reports.

New numbers from Statistics Canada show that the work from home wave many employees hoped would stay, appears to be ending.

The data shows roughly just 20 percent of Canadians continue to mostly work from home as of November 2023.

It's been a steady decline since the work model was introduced at the start of the pandemic. In April 2020, about 40 per cent of Canadians worked mostly from home and fell to 30 per cent in January 2022.

"We expected that it would come back in that there would be some requirement to return to work," said Lisa Hutcheson, managing partner at JC Williams Group, a retail consulting firm.

"It's the office workers that seem to be more difficult, in our experience, getting people back to work versus some of the other sectors."

Prior to the pandemic in January 2020, Statistics Canada says just seven per cent of Canadians worked from home.

Those who remain part of the one in five Canadians still working from home say it is a situation they do not want to give up.

"What we do now is instead of going to the office as a mandatory item, we have get-togethers where it is a true team building exercise," said Remi Gov, who runs an IT solutions business and has been working from home since 2017.

"Given the nature of our business, there is no need for us to ever go back to the office. I would not go back."

Others see the benefits working from home brings to the rest of their lives.

Catrina Runtz began working from home in 2023 and says the switch has saved her time and money.

"I like working from home better because I save a lot more money on fuel and eating out."

"My wardrobe has changed drastically because I don't have to wear business attire. It's pretty casual and a lot more comfortable."

Working from her home computer, Runtz says everything she can do in the office, she does better at home.

"I don't see myself having to go into the office full time ever."