The rise of 'work from anywhere' puts 6 Mn UK professional jobs at risk

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has warned that 5.9 Mn "anywhere" workers - from graphic designers to software programmers - are at risk, many of them in London and south-east England. The jobs at risk also include 1.7 million in finance, research and real estate. As per the research firm, the outsourcing and offshoring of these roles would have political, economic and social consequences similar to the loss of manufacturing jobs in the 1970s, that too on an accelerated time frame. 

After the successful "mass experiment" with remote working, companies concerned about costs could prefer to keep just core staff needed for in-person collaboration and decision making.

According to the Office for National Statistics data, 58 percent of companies that want to continue with more home-working are motivated by cutting costs, such as office rents in city centres.

It is clear that most of the professional roles will be outsourced and open to people from across the borders, creating a tougher competition for the local talent. On the other hand, as companies in other countries also witness a boom in work from anywhere, these professional roles across geographies also see a rise in demand. For the professionals, it will be key to hone their skills and market them well to attract jobs from across the world. For the government, the focus should be on promoting skill development and making jobs from other countries also accessible to the local talent pool.