Québec, February 6, 2024. – In 2022, in Québec, about 35% of those in the labour force teleworked, mainly as part of a hybrid work model. Nearly 40% of female workers reported teleworking versus about 31% of male workers. These findings come from the publication Portrait du télétravail au Québec en 2022 : un phénomène à géométrie variable released today by the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
Who was teleworking in greater proportions in 2022?
In general, the proportion of people who teleworked was higher among:
- Those aged 25 to 54 (40%)
- Those who are university educated (58%)
- Those working in finance, insurance or real estate (75%), professional, scientific and technical services (73%), and public administration (65%).
Telework is especially common among managers and professionals and among high income earners.
Highest telework rates found in the regions of Montréal and Outaouais
The telework rate was 45% in the regions of Outaouais and Montréal, and nearly 40% in the Capitale-Nationale region. By comparison, this rate stood at 20% or less in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Centre-du-Québec, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as well as in the combined regions of Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec.
Unsurprisingly, regions with higher proportions of service industries (urban regions) have higher telework rates than regions with mainly manufacturing or natural resource industries.
More telework in Ontario than in Québec
In 2022, the telework rate observed in Québec (34.6%) was lower than in Ontario (39.1%). The gap between Québec and Ontario can be explained in part by the large number of people working for the federal government in the region of Ottawa and by differences in industry composition between the two provinces.
However, the telework rate is higher in Québec than in Alberta (30.8%) and elsewhere in Canada (25.9%), once again because of differences in job distribution between industries.
What do employed people want?
In all the groups and work environments analyzed, there were more people who preferred telework to in-person work than there were people who had teleworked. This was especially true for:
- Women
- People aged 25 to 44
- People with postsecondary education or higher
- People working full-time
- People working in an establishment with 100 or fewer people
The Institut de la statistique du Québec produces, analyzes and disseminates official, objective and quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and all those wishing to learn more about Québec.