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The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business is sponsoring a webinar on the Future of Remote Work at 9 a.m. (CT) Friday, Oct. 23. The presentation examines research on the effects of COVID-19 on remote work and considers the long-term implications on the future of work.

SIUE Emeritus Professor of Economics Sandy Levin, who is a specialist in telecommunications economics, organized the conference.

“We are grateful that Emeritus Professor Levin brought this opportunity to our attention,’ said School of Business Dean Tim Schoenecker, PhD. “This is clearly a relevant topic, and the School of Business is pleased to be a sponsor.”

Evaluating the economic impact of social distancing measures taken to arrest the spread of COVID-19 raises a number of fundamental questions about the modern economy:

• How many jobs can be performed at home?
• What share of total wages are paid to such jobs?
• How does the scope for working from home vary across occupations, cities, industries and countries?

Jonathan Dingel, PhD, associate professor of economics in the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, will present the results of research on the effect of COVID-19 on remote work and consider the long-term implications for the future of work after the pandemic. 

Looking broadly across countries highlights that high-quality telecom networks are a necessary condition for effective economic and public responses to COVID-19. In particular, strong networks have underpinned the success and broad acceptance of lockdown measures by enabling substantial continuation of work, education, and commerce, notwithstanding social distancing.

TELUS Communications Regulatory Affairs Director Joe Rowsell will review international evidence on the performance of telecom networks during the pandemic, including on speed, reliability and coverage. 

For more information and to register, visit www.itsworld.org.

Photo: SIUE Emeritus Professor of Economics Sandy Levin.