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Something like a third of working age US residents do not work. It's a large number. Some of them are in college, and there are also significant chunks of unemployed people, homemakers, and early retirees. But only 2 out of 3 of adults between 18 and 65 actually work. This is known as the labor participation rate.
Then you take the two-thirds that work -- I would estimate half of them have jobs where they have to show up somewhere -- manufacturing, retail, food service, etc. But the other half is mostly what we used to call "white collar."
That group, about one-third of adults, are the people I think the OP and others are referencing, when they see crowds of adults out-and-about during working hours. I have noticed it also.
A friend in Montreal recently described a study (US mostly) of traffic patterns since March 2020 -- the COVID period. While most suburban areas have seen a significant decline in the morning rush hour (7am-9am), and just have normal daytime traffic throughout the AM hours, almost every metro has seen a huge jump in traffic from 1pm until 4pm. A situation that now continues through the afternoon rush, and doesn't really lessen until after 6pm.
The theory is that the WFH trend has pushed almost all errands to the afternoon. Shopping that might have happened in the morning, or downtown, now happens after lunch, as the waning daytime hours get counted down.
However you feel about it, this is the new normal. That WFH/ White Collar crowd, unless something changes fairly radically, will be WFH for the next decade. It's a huge cultural shift, and we are still in the middle of it.
One effect already apparent -- people who didn't like living in cities, they are moving out. Often to resort areas. Florida and some of the desert cities have been deluged with people. Some mountain towns also.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smt1111
It might be that it's not due to WFH but that these people aren't working at all (have no job).
I do have to agree with you that there are more people out and about during core working hours now. A lot of young people. I see all these young women lollygagging around in Target without a care in the world. That's not someone who's got to get back to work. I work from home and if I do go out to run an errand, I'm hurrying to get it done and get back to work. I suspect a lot of people just aren't working. A few friends of mine have adult children who are "taking a break" from their jobs.
Of course, some people work evenings or nights but that was the same in the past so the increase in people in the stores is not due to shift work. That would have remained constant.
I see young couples out strolling down the street at core working hours--10 AM, 11 AM. I'm mystified if they even work. I don't get it.
Well, my new next-door neighbor definitely works from home. I often hear him talking (loudly) on his cell phone to either his clients or co-workers in the yard or while he's walking his old dog. It's rather novel for this neighborhood as most people are either elderly and fully retired or work away from home and are gone all day. As far as all the people shopping during "work" hours, I don't care if they're supposed to be WFH or not; that's their business, not mine. Heck, when I was doing investigations in far-flung locations, I always took an hour or so to find a local thrift store or flea market to browse, so I guess I cheated the gub'mint of that time. I also made up for it by working weekends and holidays without comp time, so it equaled out.
The theory is that the WFH trend has pushed almost all errands to the afternoon. Shopping that might have happened in the morning, or downtown, now happens after lunch, as the waning daytime hours get counted down.
However you feel about it, this is the new normal. That WFH/ White Collar crowd, unless something changes fairly radically, will be WFH for the next decade. It's a huge cultural shift, and we are still in the middle of it.
One effect already apparent -- people who didn't like living in cities, they are moving out. Often to resort areas. Florida and some of the desert cities have been deluged with people. Some mountain towns also.
This is a big one.
I can usually fudge a little longer lunch, or leave a bit early in the afternoons without anyone really noticing. It's really rare that I could be gone for more than fifteen minutes or so in the mornings. Most of my meetings and core business is done before lunch. Also, the week generally slows down as it goes on.
It might be that it's not due to WFH but that these people aren't working at all (have no job).
I do have to agree with you that there are more people out and about during core working hours now. A lot of young people. I see all these young women lollygagging around in Target without a care in the world. That's not someone who's got to get back to work. I work from home and if I do go out to run an errand, I'm hurrying to get it done and get back to work. I suspect a lot of people just aren't working. A few friends of mine have adult children who are "taking a break" from their jobs.
Of course, some people work evenings or nights but that was the same in the past so the increase in people in the stores is not due to shift work. That would have remained constant.
I see young couples out strolling down the street at core working hours--10 AM, 11 AM. I'm mystified if they even work. I don't get it.
Virtually anyone who was laid off during the initial COVID downturn could have found a job several times over by now.
I know lots of people, mostly younger, who used their COVID layoffs and stimulus checks to improve their lives. I have a cousin who was working for a family painting business that imploded during the shutdowns. He used that time off and those stimulus checks to move to Atlanta, and now Nashville, from here in Appalachia, where he had no future.
Lots of people work nonstandard hours or work from home. I'm rarely out at 10-11 AM, but it wouldn't be that unusual to see me at Sam's, Walmart, or Target between 12-2 PM. I know folks in healthcare, first responders, etc., who do not keep standard business hours.
Well, at least one of you proved my point by posting in the City Data retirement forum when you said it was during the time you were home working. Actually, I expected more responses like that from non-retirees.
I am surprised by the people who multi-task work at home and doing personal tasks in your home and still consider that working since you would never get away with that at work but that's none of my business and has no impact on me, at all.
I was expecting mostly responses from longer time retirees who, like me, don't like sharing the daytime hours (mon - fri ) with people who used to be at work except at lunchtime. That's all. Reps to all.
What? LOL. I have never worked ANYWHERE that I could not accomplish personal tasks during the day. In my work, long hours and after hours work is fairly common, and it's absurd to expect a person to not be able so take care of important personal tasks that simply cannot be done at other times. I was able to flex my time as needed, as were all of my co-workers, to address these needs. Working from home simply allowed me to be even more productive in both work and personally since I no longer had to prepare for work, commute to and from, and my gas station trips were cut way down too.
Working from home my last two years was fabulous, and our team was actually made permanently remote a year into the Covid crap, as we were so much more productive, not to mention happier to be at home. And as a side note, I have been to Home Depot during the week, and I assure you it is a COMPLETELY different experience than going on the weekend. I'll take shopping during the week, anytime.
I work from home and do schedule my breaks so that I can grocery shop or run errands when it is less busy. I work in accounting for an engineering firm and all that matters to my boss is that the work gets done.
I think the point the OP was trying to make is that the 'less busy' times are disappearing post covid, in part because there are many more people working from home and able to set their own hours. I've definitely noticed the same thing the OP has.
I will add that I also think in some cases it also has to do with a rather large influx of people moving to new areas. I live in the same state as the Op and have observed that not only is there a large increase in traffic during the day, many of those vehicles are sporting out of state tags from far reaching states.
I think the point the OP was trying to make is that the 'less busy' times are disappearing post covid, in part because there are many more people working from home and able to set their own hours. I've definitely noticed the same thing the OP has.
I will add that I also think in some cases it also has to do with a rather large influx of people moving to new areas. I live in the same state as the Op and have observed that not only is there a large increase in traffic during the day, many of those vehicles are sporting out of state tags from far reaching states.
Actually the OP does not appear to understand that at all.
Yeah. We tawk funny in some ways (but how else would one say "bury"?) but nobody from New Jersey anywhere that I've ever met on 63 years says "Joisey" unless they came from Brooklyn, and even that died out maybe 40 years ago. NJ people in fact clearly say their Rs, which some other accents such as NY or Boston or Maine do not.
Wouldn't that be twauk or tuwauk? Like in cuwoffee.......
My husband now only goes into the office 1 day a week since Covid wfh began more than 2 years ago. His company moved and downsized their office space saving considerable dollars in rent. Our youngest daughter is 100% remote since Covid. Her company sub leased their fancy office and now just has a We Work space that employees who want to meet in person can use. I am also only going into the office 1 day a week. My company is in the process of moving our office and although we are not downsizing we are going to cut our monthly lease costs almost in half.
The working world has changed since Covid and people are not going back into offices and there is a lot of empty commercial real estate right now.
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