When COVID-19 began making the rounds in the U.S., businesses shuttered and offices emptied. Remote work became the rule rather than the exception as bedrooms and basements were converted to makeshift offices.
But five years after the pandemic, people are gradually filling up the cubicles again, prodded on by President Donald Trump and CEOs. Still, office levels nationally remain way below pre-pandemic levels. The Placer.ai Index found that in April, nationwide office visits in a sampling of cities were down 30.7% compared to April 2019 — but, in some places, there is a more robust recovery taking place.
Here are some of the cities where offices are filling up the fastest and the slowest.
The Big Apple leads the way, according to Placer.ai data. The latest figures show that in April, New York offices were down only a barely noticeable 5.5% from pre-pandemic levels. And if you own a coffee shop or lunch spot outside a business office, you are cheering the return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
Of the surveyed cities, Miami has seen the second strongest recovery, with visits down only 15.3%.
Atlanta offices are filling up faster than most places, although at 25% below April 2019 levels, there is still a ways to go before all the cubicles and commuter buses are full.
Dallas are 30.6% below their pre-pandemic levels, besting the national average of 30.7% by a hair.
Despite the president’s return-to-office order, Washington D.C., surprisingly is lagging. Offices are 32.3% below their pre-pandemic levels.
There is still a lot more elbow room in Boston offices now than there was before the pandemic. April Placer.ai data puts office traffic at at 39.7% below April 2019.
San Francisco brought up the rear, with office visits still 44.7% below pre-pandemic levels.
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