A recent study conducted by the Self Storage Association of the United Kingdom (SSA-UK) and TNS Research indicates that approximately 40 percent of employees in Wales work from home, and the figure is likely to grow in coming years. The trend is reflected in the growth of the U.K. self-storage industry, as residents use storage facilities to make more space for their home office.
In 2009, more than a million square feet of self-storage was added to the nation, bringing the total to 28 million square feet of storage space.
According to the research, 16 percent of respondents feel the amount of work they do from home is likely to increase in the coming year. Only 9 percent felt they would work from home less.
Of those interviewed, more than half (51 percent) prefer to work from home. Approximately a quarter (24 percent) said they believed they would be more productive if allowed to do so.
The research revealed that Internet access is key to home-working in Wales, with more than three quarters of respondents (78%) saying it is even more important than the telephone.
As the trend for smaller houses and living space continues in the U.K., more people are turning to self-storage to store their possessions, Rodney Walker, CEO of the SSA-UK, told the Daily Post North Wales. This trend is further compounded as more people are working from home or creating home offices to save money, finish work or run Internet businesses.
Sources:
- Daily Post North Wales: Around 40% of Welsh work from home, says new research