Australia is set to experience a boom in the number of people who do their jobs from home, according to reports.

Figures from the national government show that the proportion of Australians that work from home rose by around four per cent from 2000 to 2005 and this trend looks likely to continue, suggests Kerry Fallon Horgan from the "corporate coaching group" Flexibility at Work.

Ms Fallon Horgan told the Fairfax Digital news provider that a skills shortage and low unemployment rates will give women a good chance to demand flexible working arrangements in years to come.

"Today we live in a global market where technological advances enable working from home," Ms Fallon Horgan made clear.

"Research has clearly shown that the minimum productivity increase for companies is 20 per cent when people work from home," she added.

A study carried out by Citrix Online recently found that many UK companies are not yet taking advantage of home-based working as a way to help mothers back into professional life.