US Offices Now at Least Half Full

According to a recent article by Business Insider, most offices within the United States are now at least half full of employees for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Security card swipe data from Kastle Systems, a business security provider, indicated that occupancy rates of more than 2,600 buildings across 10 major metropolitan areas averaged 50.4% for the week of January 19–25.

However, Business Insider reported varying workweek occupancy rates, noting that many workers still come into a physical office less than five days a week. Tuesday was cited by Kastle as the day when most reported to work, with 10 cities reporting an average of 58.6% occupancy. Friday was the least common, with an average of just 34.9%.

In comparison, prior to the pandemic, office occupancy averaged near 100% every day of the workweek, falling below 90% only on Fridays.

While more might be showing up to the office in 2023, are employees really willing to give up working remotely? In September 2022, a report revealed that more than half of the workers surveyed that summer preferred either a hybrid model or working from home. Check out Employees Unwilling to Give Up Pandemic Perks to read more about the findings.