Office occupancy rose 2.7 points to 51.6%, according to Kastle’s 10-city Back to Work Barometer, reaching a new record high since the start of the pandemic. The increase follows a similar pattern to last December, as more workers returned to the office after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Nine of the 10 cities tracked experienced increases, with five cities reaching new pandemic record highs — Chicago at 55.6%, New York City at 51.4%, Washington, D.C. at 49.5%, San Francisco at 47%, and Philadelphia at 43.3% occupancy. Austin, Texas had one of the biggest increases, rising 6.7 points to 65.3% occupancy and the number one spot among the 10 cities. San Francisco saw an even larger gain, rising seven full points. The weekly average high was Tuesday at 61.6% and the low was Friday at 34.2% occupancy.