Majority also believe the road to economic recovery will be slow
SAN FRANCISCO – June 1, 2020 – Bospar, the boutique PR firm that puts tech companies on the map, has released its latest survey findings on COVID-19.
Bospar teamed up with Propeller Insights for an April 28-29 survey to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed American work life and spending habits. It also looked at American expectations for economic recovery.
“It is apparent that many Americans believe that there will be no return to ‘normal.’ We are redefining what normal means; the ‘new normal’ will be unlike how we lived, worked and shopped before the coronavirus,” said Bospar Principal Curtis Sparrer. “The implications for the workplace and corporate management are significant.”
Americans believe COVID-19 has permanently changed the way we work
More than 2 in 5 Americans (44%) are currently working from home. Twice as many (89%) believe the pandemic will have a lasting effect on American work life. In particular, they believe that the post-COVID-19 workplace will be:
- More remote — 54%
- More digital — 45%
- Integrated with more technology — 43%
About two-thirds of Americans (66%) expect their office life will be back to normal in fewer than six months. The other third expect that it will take at least a year or longer; 7% don’t believe it will ever be the same.
Just over half of Americans (52%) say they will definitely be willing to return to an office job after COVID-19. A minority—13%—say they won’t be willing. The rest aren’t sure.
More than a third (36%) of Americans say their use of video call app Zoom has increased, and nearly a third (32%) are using FaceTime more frequently. Interestingly, nearly a third (31%) of Americans say they are not video chatting.
Americans anticipate a slow road to economic recovery
A majority (88%) of Americans worry that the economy will get worse in the coming months.
As for economic recovery, most Americans believe it will be slow: 28% believe it will take more than six months, 36% believe it will take more than a year, and 6% believe the economy will never recover.
Some 75% of Americans say their spending habits have changed because of COVID-19. Most are spending less, either because they have no choice (17%) or because they are only making essential purchases (37%). Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) say they have been making more bulk purchases.
Asked to rank big-box retailers in terms of which has done the best job managing COVID-19, Americans said:
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Costco
- Target
About Propeller Insights
Propeller Insights is a full-service market research firm based in Los Angeles. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies to measure and analyze marketplace and consumer opinions, they work extensively across industries such as travel, brand intelligence, entertainment/media, retail, and consumer packaged goods. Propeller conducted its national online survey for Bospar of 1,014 U.S. adults between April 28, 2020 – April 29, 2020. Survey responses were nationally representative of the U.S. population for age, gender, region, and ethnicity. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
About Bospar
Bospar is a boutique tech PR firm featuring a team of highly seasoned professionals who exist to put tech companies on the map. Bospar’s principals include a long-time PR and tech industry guru, a former broadcast TV producer and award-winning media maven, a standout PR agency manager from the corporate side of a leading global law firm, and an experienced executive with both agency and public company credentials. Bospar’s larger team includes experts in both social and traditional media, as well as financial and analyst relations and public affairs.
