U.S. Return To Office Lags Europe, Asia 3 Years Into Covid

Workers in Asia and Europe are going back to their offices in greater numbers than those in America, with offices in the U.S. languishing as workers avoid hectic commutes while enjoying homes that are larger, on average, than their international counterparts.

In Europe and the Middle East, office occupancy is between 70% and 90% of the pre-pandemic average and in Asia, it is 80% to 110%, according to Wall Street Journal reporting on JLL data. Occupancy rates in the U.S. are 40% to 60% of pre-pandemic levels.

“The U.S. has borne the brunt of this,” JLL Director of City Future Phil Ryan told the WSJ.

The reasons for Americans’ reluctance to return to the office are varied, according to the WSJ. Public transit is lacking in most major American cities, especially compared to transportation systems in Asia. That means longer commutes for American workers, providing motivation to stay at home.

And Americans’ tendency toward larger homes makes it easier for them to set up at-home offices while they navigate a tighter labor market than those found in Europe and Asia, which gives more leverage to workers to negotiate work-from-home time.

Plus, tech firms make up a large share of the employment base in many American cities, and those firms tend to be more accepting of remote work. 

More robust parental leave policies in many European countries also make it easier for working parents to get back to the office. The return-to-office movement has been viewed negatively in the U.S. by many parents, especially mothers, who found the flexibility of remote work made work-life balance more achievable.

The latest iteration of the Kastle Back to Work Barometer, released Tuesday, showed offices in the 10 major metro areas tracked by the company last week passed the 50% occupancy threshold for the second time since the pandemic began.