The national weekly average of office occupancy has reached 34.3%, the highest level since the return to work post-pandemic in 2021, according to Remit Consulting.
The company found there was a strong return to the office, with staff flocking back to their desks in the second, third and fourth weeks of January after a slow start to the month.
Data confirmed the established pattern of higher office attendance on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, during which time occupancy rates are regularly around or in excess of 40%.
On the week ending Friday, 27 January, national average office occupancy hit 34.3%, the highest figure since the start of the firm’s Return survey in May 2021.
In London’s submarket, the West End experienced a weekly average occupancy rate of 43.9% in the final week of January and in the Docklands it reached 49.4%.
Lorna Landells, of Remit Consulting, said: “Despite rail strikes, occupancy levels in January 2023 were stronger by a sizeable margin than 12 months previously, when the country was dealing with the Omicron variant of Covid-19.”
She added: “This is a dramatic improvement for an area of London which has previously held a position behind the West End. Perhaps the preponderance of banking institutions has begun to play its part.”
However, opinions remain divided over what constitutes maximum occupancy for offices. Some industry commentators suggested that, due to holidays, external meetings, staff sickness and other operational issues, offices were only ever 60-80% full before the pandemic.
Other industry professionals suggest a figure of between 70% and 80% at peak times.
To send feedback, e-mail chante.bohitige@eg.co.uk or tweet @bohitige or @EGPropertyNews
