Office Attendance Slips After January Peak

Office Attendance Slips After January Peak

Office attendance across 10 major U.S. markets declined in late February, retreating from recent post-pandemic highs, according to the latest report from Kastle Systems.

For the week ended Feb. 25, average occupancy reached 53.7% of pre-pandemic levels, down from a revised 55.3% the prior week. Attendance had previously climbed to a post-pandemic peak of 56.9% during the week ended Jan. 14.

Among the tracked markets, Austin, Texas, continued to lead by a wide margin. Office traffic there closed February at 80.3% of pre-pandemic levels — significantly higher than other major cities. Dallas followed at 67.3%, Houston at 63.8%, and Chicago at 56.9%.

Meanwhile, several Eastern U.S. markets saw sharp week-over-week declines, largely attributed to severe winter weather. New York attendance fell to 39.7%, down from 55.3% the previous week. Philadelphia also dropped, sliding to 34% from 42.4%.

The data is based on anonymized keycard swipes collected from Kastle Systems’ office property clients.