Something for the weekend: Swansea in Wales has ranked top in the UK for hybrid working, due to its low-cost broadband and affordable house prices.
Software specialist Access Group’s Hybrid working inclusion index was compiled using nine data points: average house prices, hours worked by location, salaries, electricity and gas costs, average temperature, access to superfast broadband, and household occupancy levels, which were used to create a total score out of 900, with the lowest score the most inclusive.
Fewer than a third of Swansea homes had three or more people living in them, and average house prices were among the lowest in the country at £193,426. Superfast broadband, arguably essential for hybrid working, was also comparatively cheap at £27.69 per month. In contrast, London, Cardiff and Edinburgh residents paid nearly £40 per month on average.
Meanwhile, Slough scored worst in the index, with 57% of homes having three or more residents, proximity to London meaning average house prices were £427,065, and a superfast broadband costs of almost £40 per month.
The 10 best locations in the UK for hybrid working were:
- Swansea – 298
- Sunderland – 301
- Norwich – 325
- Glasgow – 348
- Leeds – 352
- Warrington – 355
- Derby – 357
- Liverpool – 362
- Blackpool – 362
- Northampton – 362
The 10 worst locations in the UK for hybrid working and their scores were:
- Slough – 592
- Wolverhampton – 549
- Luton – 493
- Southampton – 488
- Birmingham – 488
- Peterborough – 487
- Reading – 482
- Swindon – 479
- Milton Keynes – 473
- Stoke-on-Trent – 469
Claire Scott, chief employee success officer at Access Group, said: “Our index suggests [hybrid working] created new barriers for some people that didn’t exist when everyone was office-based, including wide regional variations. While employers don’t have control over house prices or broadband providers, by listening to their employees they can put ways of working in place that supports employees to get the best out of hybrid working.
“By facilitating hybrid working, technology that gives people instant access to the information they need, from anywhere, can also drive social mobility, giving people access to a wider job market in major cities without the high cost of living there.”
Swansea certainly sounds like the place to be for those looking to make the new normal of hybrid working work best for them, particularly when everyone is looking to pinch the pennies without losing out on lifestyle…