Office occupancy rates in the UK hit the highest level since the end of the national lockdown in March 2021, according to the latest research from Remit Consulting.
The management consultant’s Return report reveals that, in the week ending 21 April, the national average office occupancy rate reached 35.9%. Compared to possible average pre-pandemic office occupancy rates of 80%, the adjusted figure suggests a rate of 44.9%.
Lorna Landells of Remit Consulting said the number of people commuting and working in the office on a daily basis had been heavily affected by the double bank holiday over the Easter period. On a monthly basis, the national average occupancy for the first three weeks of April was just 27.9%. But post-Easter, occupancy levels recovered strongly to reach the highest level since the survey began, and only the second time it has exceeded 35%.
"Last week, the overall figure for London was held back by weakness in Midtown and other submarkets, but the West End reached a weekly average of 47.6%. In Scotland, Edinburgh recorded a solid 32.4%, but Glasgow continued to lag with an office occupancy rate of just 16.3%," she added.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays remain the busiest days of the week for people in the office, according to Remit Consulting, and last week, the national average office occupancy exceeded 40% on these three days.
The Return Report is compiled by Remit Consulting weekly and is based on data provided by building managers from office buildings in major cities around the UK, many in central and prime locations. The data is obtained from the buildings’ access control systems, providing an overview of the number of staff and visitors entering a property on weekdays. This is presented as a percentage of the capacity of each building.