Home Offices Exploding

One-third of the U.S. workforce -- 44 million Americans -- will work at home at least part-time during 2004.



This astonishing figure comes from a new report out by In-Stat/MDR, which also notes that:

..."soft" factors, such as the desire to stay closer to family, avoid the stress of the office, and cut back on commuting time, coupled with the need to extend the work day (due in part to downsizing), have translated to increased interest in telecommuting among employees -- as well as businesses.

The report goes on to predict that by 2008 this number will rise to 51 million, of which approximately 14 million will work from home full-time.





A portion of these home workers are self-employed entrepreneurs or run small businesses out of their homes. Others are corporate employees who work from home.



This trend bodes large for businesses that provide products and services for home workers, including broadband, home office furniture, telecommunications equipment, package delivery services, and computers -- to name just a few.