FEWER Bolton residents are working from the office than they were before the coronavirus pandemic despite all restrictions coming to an end, figures suggest.

Google uses location data from phones and other personal devices to track trends in people's movement in different areas of their daily lives, including where they work.

This information shows that activity in workplaces in Bolton in the working week to April 1 was 21 per cent lower than during a five-week baseline period recorded before the coronavirus pandemic.

This was unchanged from the five days to March 25.

However, these latest Google figures suggest that more Bolton workers are in the office than at a similar time last year, when the UK was just emerging from a series of lockdowns.

In a survey by the Open University that ran from March 1 to 20 this year, 81 per cent of public sector employees in the North West said they want to keep working remotely in the next 12 months.

The Institute for the Future of Work, an independent research and development institute, said lockdown restrictions acted as a catalyst for more remote work, with some employers and employees keen to retain the benefits.

A spokesperson for the group said it provides the opportunity to work from anywhere, at any time, and the ability to spend more time with families – but individual home working conditions matter significantly.

They added: "Our research finds that individual preferences vary hugely, with some missing the everyday social interactions of a shared workspace and experiencing an increased blurring of work-life boundaries.

"Since experience of homeworking varies enormously, it is important for employers to meaningfully consult with their employees on a regular basis about home working in order to minimise risks."

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), which provides impartial workplace advice, said the Google figures match with their own research that over half of employers expected an increase in remote working part of the week once the pandemic was over.

Susan Clews, ACAS chief executive, added: “Many employers and their staff have seen the benefits of flexible working during the pandemic and will wish to continue whilst others may be keen to get back to how they were working before Covid-19.

“Hybrid or home working may not be practical for everyone and there are different types of flexible working that may work better."