We estimate the impact of the Big Shift to working from home (WFH) on offline consumer spending within cities. The analysis builds on a postcode-level panel (2019-2023) of novel cellphone mobility and payment card transaction data for 50 German metropolitan areas (MAs). Identification uses local differences in the exposure to the WFH shock, measured by neighbourhoods' WFH potential: the fraction of residents with a teleworkable job. Difference-in-differences estimates show that higher WFH potential leads to persistent declines in morning mobility and higher local spending within MAs. We estimate an elasticity of spending with respect to WFH-induced mobility changes of -3.7%, driven by large MAs. Unlike in the US, the WFH shock did not spur business turnover, urban outmigration, or a sustained shift to e-commerce in Germany. We conclude that WFH primarily reshapes urban consumption by reallocating where people spend time.

I study how the rise in working from home (WFH) affects the gender division of paid and unpaid labor (caregiving, domestic tasks). Identification uses differences in individuals' exposure to the Covid-induced WFH shock, measured by the WFH feasibility of their job in 2019. Using panel data from the German SOEP, I estimate 2SLS models that instrument realized WFH in 2022 with WFH feasibility. Results show that WFH reduces paid hours and increases domestic work and leisure (including sleep) among women. Men's time use remains largely unchanged, partly because WFH induces moves toward larger, more distant homes, offsetting commuting time savings. Within-couple analyses confirm that the Big Shift to WFH intensifies gender gaps in paid and unpaid work, particularly caregiving. I find that gender norms, bargaining power, and childcare demands interact with WFH in ways that reinforce the unequal division of labor.

Recruiting the ``right'' talent has become a central challenge since the Big Shift to working from home (WFH), one of the most significant transformations in modern labor markets. Using job vacancy data from 2019--2023 and an instrumental variable approach, we estimate how firms' adoption of WFH changes skill requirements in hiring. Results show that postings offering WFH list a larger number of and more detailed skills: Demand increases for skills complementary to remote production (basic digital proficiency, online communication) and for ``character'' attributes related to self-management (e.g., ability to work independently), consistent with principal–agent models under moral hazard. Our findings illustrate how the ``ideal employee'' profile shifts with WFH, documenting organizational adaptations consistent with skill-biased technological change. This has implications for the distribution of economic opportunities: WFH relaxes geographic barriers to high-wage jobs but raises demand for digital and self-management skills, risking exclusion of workers lacking them. The paper thus informs education policy, including curriculum design and reskilling programs to build human capital for the hybrid work economy.

We study the causal impact of working from home (WFH) on sick leave using individual-level data on healthcare use between 2019 and 2023 from a large statutory health insurer.
Identification uses differences in individuals' exposure to the Covid-induced WFH shock, measured by the WFH potential of their occupation before March 2020.
Ideantification uses individual-level differences in the exposure the Covid-induced shift to work from home after March 2020.
Difference-in-differences results show that individuals with higher WFH potential persistently reduce sickness absenteeism, primarily through reduced short-term sick leave due to minor infections and musculoskeletal problems such as back pain. These findings suggest that sustained WFH adoption can reduce short-term absenteeism, with implications for workplace policy and occupational health strategies.