Article written by Carlos Jonay Suárez, co-founder and head of digital strategy at Pueblos Remotos.

Yes, today I'm going to start writing this blog post with one of those questions that would surely make me raise an eyebrow if I read it in someone else's post

It is, because 'crying out' titles like these is not trivial, and saying that [fill in with any topic] is the future of [fill in with another topic] can always lead you into a 'mud' from which it is very difficult to get out.

So, to avoid getting bogged down in that 'mud', I'm going to draw on some articles, as well as my experience with Pueblos Remotos, to try to provide as much support as possible for the answers to the questions you'll find below.

Why do we worry first? 

If we want to answer, at least in part, something as complex as "Is remote work the future of the rural world?" , I think the first thing that is relevant is to analyze why we have to worry in the first place.

Within the question we have two issues, which at least in Spain, have great challenges ahead: remote work and its implementation in companies, versus the rural world and its worrying depopulation since the sixties or seventies.

Teleworking 

If we focus on the first point and analyze its evolution, we can see data that is not at all positive, at least at the moment. While it is true that the COVID-19 pandemic brought about some progress in this area— a new teleworking law, the 'startup law,' and countless publications both for and against teleworking —the fact is that, in absolute terms and according to data from the EPA (Active Population Survey), the number of salaried workers who work from home (apparently, if you work from somewhere else, you're not a 'teleworker') has decreased, in absolute terms, since the second quarter of 2022, as we can see in the graph prepared by Eva Rimbau .

On the other hand, while it's true that in absolute terms we can see a clear reduction—from over 15% of salaried workers teleworking more than half the days to 10%—it's also true that the same data from 2019, pre-pandemic, ranged between 4.1% and 8.3%, depending on the statistical source. Therefore, even though the percentage isn't very high, we can say that teleworking has not only remained stable but has actually increased compared to the years before COVID-19. 

Added to this data are cultural and situational issues that have a direct impact, such as the 'culture of presenteeism', deeply rooted in Spain, an evident lack of training to manage remote teams (this also transcends our borders) and legislation that does not help companies that want to implement it to do so with certain guarantees. 

Furthermore, the professional profiles most impacted by the 'teleworking effect' (also with its hybrid formats) are those related to the world of software development, computer engineering or digital marketing, fields that also have a large number of self-employed workers.  

In short, remote work experienced a dramatic surge in Spain (reaching over 20% of the working population during the third quarter of 2020), but this was merely a reflection of a temporary emergency caused by the pandemic and not the establishment of a solid foundation for its implementation in the labor market. Nevertheless, a growing number of companies, especially in the digital sector, are joining this trend and allowing their employees to work remotely from anywhere in Spain. 

Thus, with a situation of 'uncertainty' that is still present in the landscape, it is very difficult to make decisions, or for many people to consider moving to rural environments, especially those that are further away from large cities like Madrid or Barcelona. 

The rural world 

We in rural areas are not exempt from problems or concerns. In addition to depopulation, especially of young people, which has been ongoing since the early 1960s, there is another long list of needs and challenges to address, particularly in communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.

It is a reality, which we can read in articles such as: I'm not leaving: these entrepreneurs tell you why they work from their villages Almanatura blog , in which we see how many people have reconsidered returning to their hometown and have decided to leave the city in search of a better quality of life.

Tranquility, getting away from crowded urban environments, or the cost of living are often principles that help people accept greater 'isolation' or the lack of certain services. 

This search for connection with nature and smaller environments is something we know well at Pueblos Remotos and that all the people who participate in our experiences tell us about.

Furthermore, if we read other articles such as "Towns applaud the rise of teleworking" , we can see data and percentages from consulting firms such as ManpowerGroup , Hays or Adecco Group Institute , which reflect these movements to rural areas, or towns near large cities.

On the other hand, there is also a 'B-side'; there are other articles that argue that this supposed migratory impact from big cities to towns has not occurred: The 'great return' to towns from cities due to the pandemic was a myth

Within the article they analyze, based on a study published in Esade EcPol , that migratory flows from large cities to rural towns (they consider them rural towns if they have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants) have not changed between 2019 and 2020.

The data they present is very clear, but it is also true that 2020 was a year of high uncertainty, and although many people moved to second homes, returned to their hometowns or directly moved to a rural village, it is also true that, especially the first two groups, they did not have to change their address of residence in the city.

On the other hand, municipal restrictions, which in many cases extended throughout 2020, also limited a 'total move' to the villages, coupled with the fact that the situation of uncertainty about the permanent maintenance of teleworking continued well into 2021. 

In short, moving to rural areas requires effort and involves several important considerations, such as the lack of essential services or the quality of internet connectivity for remote work. However, many public and private projects and initiatives have been launched to create a "pull effect" (or a "retention effect") in these areas, allowing many people to become pioneers of remote work in rural environments. 

Movements like Rooral, Pandora Hub, The Social Circle , and Bikonsulting are some examples. They are joined by other projects, coliving spaces, and coworking spaces, such as Sende, El Refugio , and La Grulla Coworking .

So, is remote work the future of the rural world?

In my opinion (here I'm getting down to brass tacks) remote work is one of the futures (as David Alayón rightly says, there is more than one future scenario) of the rural world.

Why? Well, for a wide variety of reasons, but here's a list I've compiled of some of the ones I consider most relevant: 

• Infrastructure improvements , along with the increasing expansion and implementation of fiber optics, are making remote work from rural areas much easier (as a real example, I can say that in the municipality of Fuencaliente de La Palma , with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, we had a symmetrical internet connection of 200 megabytes).

• The growing awareness among many companies , and their managers, of the importance of adopting remote work is leading to the creation of companies distributed throughout the country, examples that can encourage other companies to follow suit.

• Talent retention , especially in certain sectors, is more closely linked to 'emotional salary' than to 'real salary,' which is why many people are starting to choose 'Work From Anywhere' over 'Pay Me More.' We have a very clear example in the American market: The Great Quit: in the US, employees are leaving their jobs en masse. The big question is whether (and when) we will see this in Spain.

• Some people are choosing 'quality of life' over 'city living .' By quality of life, I mean being able to live in a quieter environment, more connected to nature, and in a more manageable setting that allows them to get to know the place and its people. You can hear or read some examples of these stories in " Starting a Business in a Village."

Of course, we still have a long way to go, thousands of challenges ahead, and a host of complex situations without clear answers. But that is probably one of the most beautiful challenges we will face in the coming years. 

In a world increasingly devastated by climate change, more disconnected from nature (and more connected to the metaverse), and with a pressing increase in mental health problems, could a return to the rural world and our reconnection with it be one of the possible 'solutions'?