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During the 19th century, the industrial revolution was in full swing in France. The mechanization of production methods and the development of new agricultural tools are causing the departure of rural populations to the cities. This rural exodus is motivated by the hope of finding work again and improving living conditions.
Two hundred years later, cities concentrate most of the economic activity. Paris, the nerve center of France, represents more than 30% of the national GDP in 2020 according to the LNSee.
In February 2020, France went into lockdown for the first time in order to limit the spread of the COVID virus.
In order to try to maintain economic activity as best as possible, companies then massively resort to the implementation of teleworking.
On this occasion, many Parisian employees (with the possibility) make the choice to confine themselves to the countryside, in their second home, or with loved ones.
Then comes the end of lockdown, and the end of health measures. It was then that a new phenomenon appeared: a certain number of workers made the choice to stay and live in the countryside by continuing to work from home, and refused to return to the office.
Indeed, according to the Labor Code, an employer cannot influence the place of residence of its employees.
Consequently, teleworking would then offer the opportunity to live more peacefully, in the countryside, while maintaining one's activity.
Teleworking would therefore make it possible to benefit from the advantages of qualified jobs generally reserved for large cities while having a less stressful working environment in the countryside.
It is therefore legitimate to ask, whether this new trend of urban exodus motivated by the democratization of remote working is real, or only a phenomenon involving a minority of individuals?
The emergence of “full remote” businesses
First of all, a first wave appears, considering that the trend will be “full remote”. On May 12, 2020, for the first time, Twitter offered all its employees the opportunity to telework full-time and permanently.
“Full remote” allows you to choose your place of residence based on criteria related to well-being and no longer linked to job prospects. Location and place of residence will no longer be hiring criteria.
“Full remote” companies will then expand the radius from which they seek to recruit, because teleworking is blowing up geographical distance.
Paris, at the moment, offers numerous job opportunities, but in several years, these jobs could be more and more available from all over the country.
With “full remote”, work is now organized around personal life and no longer the other way around. Employees work side by side with their employees via videoconferencing tools and can, for example, devote a greater part of their personal time to the associative life of their village.
Finally, full remote could be adopted by a large number of companies, because it makes it possible to drastically reduce fixed costs, especially those related to real estate. Indeed, “full remote” companies will only keep their head office and will reduce their commercial areas by 50 to 70%.
Businesses may then prefer to spend €2,000 per employee on a quality “remote” installation than to spend €10,000 on office space per employee.
However, this “full remote” model presents risks, especially in terms of team cohesion, and social connection at work which may be put at risk.
This could therefore explain a first wave of mobility outside the capital.
The development of third workplaces
The future trend will therefore be teleworking, which can even go as far as “full remote”. But the home will not be the only place from which the employee carries out his professional activity.
Co-working spaces are bound to develop and become more democratic. In country cities, FabLabs, Repair'Cafes, and other shared homes will be places dedicated to “remote” work.
These country towns will have to innovate and invest in new infrastructures such as shops and schools in order to make themselves attractive. Indeed, with the return of the active population in the countryside, small towns and municipalities will once again be dynamic areas with quality shops and infrastructure.
Companies will seek to differentiate themselves from each other by offering their employees living in rural areas additional services such as subscriptions to co-working spaces, lunch support, etc.
The Paris housing crisis and new sustainability challenges
Finally, a final financial and ecological factor could play a role in the urban exodus that we are studying here. For several years, the price per m2 in Paris has exploded and amounts to an average of €11,000 per m2 in the capital. Precarious housing is multiplying and homes on the outskirts of Paris, although far from the capital, are being taken by storm.
Teleworking then appears to be the solution to these housing problems, since it frees the employee from the constraints of his workplace. It is therefore possible to have a house or a larger apartment in the countryside for a lower price.
Likewise, it will be easier to invest your money by buying real estate in the countryside than in the city where renting often appears to be the only solution for housing.
The Home Office, outside Paris, also allows enormous savings in transport time.
On average, Parisian employees spend 68 minutes a day on public transport, which is 2 times higher than for employees in small urban areas, according to a Dares study.
This saving of time in transport is accompanied by a reduction in the carbon footprint associated with travel, which is more than necessary in view of climate challenges.
See also: the advantages of teleworking on the environment.
Finally, Parisian homes are renowned for being real thermal sieves. Indeed, Haussmann apartments generally have poor insulation and are very energy-intensive. Rural homes are often more easily renovated and offer a more sustainable lifestyle.
It is more than likely to see the emergence of an urban exodus in favor of small and medium-sized rural towns at the expense of the capital.
However, “full-remote” businesses and teleworking are not yet widespread enough to see such migrations in the very near future (in less than 5 years).
This trend is more likely to take place in the next two decades, and will be motivated in particular by the issue of the climate emergency.
m-work and remote work
m-work is a remote work management tool that promotes team engagement, by allowing employees to meet in the right place, at the right time, in a simple and fun way. The solution also makes it possible to calculate in real time the CO2 saved thanks to your remote work!
Are you interested in the subject? Do not hesitate to contact us!
