Remote working could deal a blow of £15.3bn a year to the economy due to the impact on cleaners, coffee shops and security guards, according to accountancy firm PwC.
The dent to GDP — about 1% — would be caused by lower spending from workers who are at home, and the knock-on impact of lower spending power for those who rely on them for work.
Businesses that rely on office workers have already shown signs of pain from quieter-than-usual cities. Pret A Manger, which locates its stores in the shadow of office blocks, is cutting almost 3,000 jobs — a third of its workforce — and is now trying to expand into the suburbs.
Jonathan Gillham, PwC’s chief economist, said that while suburbs and smaller
