Millions of UK workers would like the opportunity to work 'remotely' for part of the week, a new study shows.

The number of people who regularly work from home – 1.6 million, or just over 6% of the workforce – has remained the same over the past year, according to the TUC.

Published to mark National Work from Home Day, the study found younger people are least likely to work from home while the over 60s were most likely.

Managers and professional employees such as architects and designers were among the professions with the highest proportion of those working from home.

The TUC estimated there were about four million people who would like to work from home for part of the week but were not given the opportunity.

The organisation believes there is still employer resistance to home working, while lack of access to fast and reliable internet may be a constraint in some parts of the UK.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said homeworking can improve productivity and stop the loss of experienced staff who need greater flexibility for family responsibilities, as well as having wider benefits like reducing traffic and pollution, making work more accessible for disabled people and keeping premises costs down.

'Lots of people would like to work from home but have not been given the chance by their boss. That's a shame, because it can benefit employers as well as workers,' she said.

'Many bosses already recognise that homeworking can make staff happier and more effective, but other employers need to catch up.

'Trade unions can help negotiate homeworking policies that work positively for both employers and staff. The government can help by investing in broadband infrastructure so that every worker can get a high-speed connection at home and we encourage businesses and public services to include homeworking in job design and recruitment.'

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK, which organises National Work from Home Day, said for an increasing number of people the world of work was 'no longer confined to commuting to a place of work five days a week'.

'During the past decade there has been a substantial increase in 21st-century employers who have embraced modern, smarter working practices, such as homeworking, to the benefit of their organisation and its employees.

'However, it is clear than even more employers need to follow their example by introducing new ways of working that reflect the changing world of work,' he said.