Telecommuting surges in the U.K.

More than 2.2 million people work at home online at least one day a week, according to a report in the latest Labour Market Trends from the Office of National Statistics. This figure accounts for 7.4 percent of the entire work force. In 1993 there were only 130,000 people telecommuting, or half a percent of the work force. A year later this figure jumped to 560,000. Telecommuting statistics were first introduced in the Labour Force Survey in 1997 and have grown by an average of 13 percent per year. Over the period 1997 to 2001, the total increase in telecommuting is up by between 65 and 70 percent, with further growth predicted.

ZDNet U.K.'s Andrew Swinton reported from London.

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