Assignment Topic This week, your assignment is to write the introduction and conclusion to your news article. Assignment Directions Introduction: Begin your introduction with a hook. A hook is somet

Sociological Impact Analysis, remote Work and Its Unequal Effects

Brent Boca

DeVry University

SOCS325

06/1ST/2025

Sociological Impact Analysis, remote Work and Its Unequal Effects

More people working remotely has affected how people handle work, education and their family lives. Although working remotely is helpful to many, this option not equally benefits every group. The section looks at the ways both low-income and high-income people, as well as urban and rural inhabitants, have felt remote work differently.

Income-Based Disparities

Remote work often rewards higher-income people more than people with less income. The main reason is the kind of job that people can do from a distance. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 9 percent of those in the lowest income quartile can work remotely, whereas 62 percent of those in the highest income quartile have that option (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). As this data shows, most people earning high incomes are employed in white-collar roles based on knowledge which enabled a simple move to remote work during the pandemic. Because of the way things stood, contractors experienced more job stability, regular earnings and the benefit of working from home.

Meanwhile, people from lower-income groups, who mostly worked in retail, restaurants and manual labor, either did not find work or had to go onsite without the right health protections. In addition, not enough reliable internet, current technology or safe places to work are available to most low-income families, so they cannot benefit from remote work even when it is offered. Consequently, remote work has widened existing imbalances, giving greater benefits and security to rich people and increasing the risks to financial and health well-being for those with lower incomes.

Geographical Disparities: Urban vs. Rural

It has also been clear that the benefits of remote work are often different for people in urban and rural areas. Usually, city dwellers enjoy faster internet connections, coworking places and useful services that help with remote jobs. Consequently, lots of urban residents adjusted easily to the new style of working. In comparison, many rural locations continue to have problems with getting broadband. In accordance with the FCC, at least 25 percent of people in rural America do not have broadband internet that satisfies FCC standards (FCC, 2020).

The big difference in technology between rural and urban areas means rural residents struggle to take part in working at home, learning remotely and using online medical care. Because there is less infrastructure in rural areas, these regions lack opportunities and face inequality in learning and employment. Since many remote workers are settling in rural areas, housing costs in small towns have climbed, pushing out old-time residents and making it difficult for the community to manage available resources. Consequently, some people enjoying more flexible ways to work have caused new problems related to society and the economy for those living outside cities.

Conclusion

Working remotely is better for some people than for others, since income and location have a strong influence on its effect. Those with high incomes and people living in cities have gained more freedom, kept their jobs and had access to new digital tools. Alternatively, jobs and the opportunity to use digital tools have often been difficult for workers from low-income backgrounds and residing in rural areas. The differences we see mean that without special actions such as improving internet networks and helping low-income families, remote work benefits will continue to be unbalanced.

References

Federal Communications Commission. (2020). 2020 Broadband Deployment Report. https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-progress-reports/2020-broadband-deployment-report

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules — 2017–2018 Data from the American Time Use Survey. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/flex2.nr0.htm