Creating jobs through NBN-enabled telework

This report investigates the degree to which participation in the labour force may increase with the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the increased telework opportunities it will provide. This study involved qualitative and quantitative research, leading to economic modelling to estimate the impacts of NBN-enabled telework on labour force participation, employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Australian economy. The NBN is planned to deliver reliable, high-speed broadband to all Australian premises, giving more employees and employers the confidence to engage in telework. For the purpose of this report, ‘telework’ was defined as working from home or remotely (away from the office) one or more days per week. The specific objectives for this study were to: (1) investigate the perceived likelihood of mature workers delaying their retirement if they had the opportunity to telework; (2) determine the proportion of part-time or casual workers who may increase their hours of work per week if telework was available to them; and (3) investigate the opportunities for increasing labour force participation amongst people not currently in the workforce, in particular for sub-groups: people with family and/or caring responsibilities; people with a disability; and people living in regional and remote areas who may not be able to access suitable opportunities locally.

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