Penna Dexter

Workers in the technology industry have long known that working remotely was feasible. But the Covid-19 pandemic made it a daily reality for millions. The Wall Street Journal’s technology writer, Christopher Mims, explains how transformative this is turning out to be. He brings to bear the results of recent surveys by economists from several top universities in an article titled “The New Tech Hubs.” For decades, tech companies were clustered in what Mr. Mims calls “superstar cities” in the San Francisco, New York, and Seattle areas. But now, “Millions of Americans are moving and companies — especially tech companies — are following them. These firms are bringing investment and more workers to what he calls “rising star cities.” The Brookings Institution reports that the work-from-anywhere crowd is heading to “a diverse array of cities” including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, and St. Louis. This trend has been years in the making. The pandemic dramatically accelerated it. A survey just released by Upwork, a platform connecting employers and freelance workers, shows that nearly five million Americans report having moved since 2020 and 18.9 million are planning to move. Economists from Stanford, MIT Sloan, Princeton, and other institutions have concluded from their research that “about half of all U.S. workers currently perform their jobs remotely at least some of the time.” Companies are increasingly willing to hire workers, with the agreement at the outset, that they will work remotely. Mr. Mims points to research that shows “nearly a quarter of full workdays will happen at home after the pandemic ends as opposed to 5% before the pandemic.” This phenomenon is taking workers and their families away from blue states to redder areas of the country. It brings demographic changes that will affect politics. It provides opportunities for ministry to individuals and families looking for connection. Remote workers are not meeting new friends at the office. Believers should be looking for ways to draw them into the Christian community.