IWG chief predicts daily commuting could vanish by 2040

Mark Dixon, chief executive of IYW, told one outlet that the era of daily commuting could end within 15 years as younger generations grow up accustomed to working from any location. A joint IYW-Arup study found that long commutes may be extinct by 2040, with only about 25% of Gen Alpha willing to travel more than 30 minutes to an office and 80% expecting flexible work to be the norm. Dixon highlighted that many white-collar jobs are already cloud-based, making physical offices increasingly obsolete.

He added that as baby-boomers and Gen X leaders retire, younger CEOs are more likely to permit remote work and adopt AI tools, giving their firms a competitive edge. Supporting this view, Brian O’Kelley, founder of Scope3, said companies that maintain a back-to-office culture are hurting themselves by missing out on global talent and continuous operation. The commentary suggests a broader transformation of workplace expectations driven by generational shifts and technology adoption.