More Aussie Workers Return To Their CBD Offices
AUSTRALIA – The latest survey by the Property Council of Australia shows that there was a consistent and significant increase in the number of workers returning to their office in the central business districts (CBDs) across the country, reported Mirage News on Thursday afternoon (2 June, SGT)
For instance, the office occupancy in Adelaide climbed from 59 percent to 71 percent in May, that in Canberra rose from 39 percent to 60 percent, while that in Perth and Brisbane increased by 13 percentage points to 63 percent and 64 percent respectively.
The office occupancy in Melbourne rose 12 percentage points to 48 percent, whereas that in Sydney grew 13 percentage points to 55 percent.
“What we’ve seen this month is a consistent and sizeable lift in the numbers of people returning to the office across all CBDs,” said the Property Council’s CEO Ken Morrison.
“This positive lift has occurred at a time when COVID and now the flu are circulating widely, forcing many people and families to stay home or isolate, on top of some extremely wet weather on the east coast.”
In spite of the challenging environment, Morrison said that it’s pleasing to witness that many employees are returning to their workplaces, with occupancy on peak days hitting 66 percent in Sydney, 73 percent in Brisbane, and 80 percent in Adelaide.
Morrison has forecasted that this trend would continue to increase, even though flexible work arrangements have become more prevalent as compared to before the pandemic. “While flexible working is here to stay, there is a value in face-to-face connection that can’t be replicated over a screen.”
“Our latest Office Market Report shows that this jump in occupancy is matched by strong demand for office space from tenants, despite the impacts of the pandemic. Strongly growing white collar employment also paints a positive picture for the future of our CBDs,” Morrison added.
