University of the Pacific’s Center for Business and Policy Research Releases New Report on COVID-19 and Residents’ Journey to Work in San Joaquin County

The University of the Pacific’s Center for Business and Policy Research (CBPR) has released a new report titled “San Joaquin County Spotlight: COVID-19 and Residents’ Journey to Work.” The report discusses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the journey to work for residents of San Joaquin County, including the increase in remote work and its effects on commuting, migration, and housing.

The report finds that the share of workers in San Joaquin County working from home nearly tripled after the onset of the pandemic, reaching 11%. This is still about half of the statewide work from home rate of 21%. The city of Tracy experienced the greatest increase in remote work, with 19% of residents working from home in 2021.

Remote work has increased the most in areas with higher incomes and less poverty, according to the report, suggesting a new dimension to social and economic equity. The report also identifies recent literature bringing attention to the potential impacts of remote work on the social structure of cities and housing expenditures, such as an increase in inter-regional integration and the potential for in-migration of educated and skilled labor, which could create challenges for lower wage workers currently residing in the county. The report notes that as remote work becomes more common, it may also impact sales and property tax revenues, incomes, and strategies to develop and sustain job centers.

The report also found that the number of people commuting to work in San Joaquin County in 2021 remains over 13% lower than before the pandemic in 2019. Long commutes have been a challenge for San Joaquin County residents for many years and are linked to negative economic, environmental, and social impacts that could potentially be mitigated by remote work.

The report recommends that San Joaquin County consider policies and investments to support more affordable housing and higher paying local jobs in order to reduce long-distance commuting and its negative economic, environmental, and social impacts.

To read the full report, see attached or visit: https://bit.ly/JtW2023