Open for business
Houston workers heading back to office at second-highest rate in U.S., study shows
So much for that everybody-working-from-home thing. New data shows Houston workers have headed back to the office in greater numbers than workers in eight other major U.S. metros.
Figures from Kastle Systems, a provider of security services for buildings, indicate Houston ranks second for back-to-the-office activity, with a 37.9 percent occupancy rate as of October 21.
Meanwhile, 41.4 percent of workers in Dallas-Fort Worth were at the office as of October 21 compared with pre-pandemic levels. By comparison, Kastle Systems’ 10-metro average was 27.4 percent. Kastle says this data makes Dallas-Fort Worth the “most open” place among the 10 metros.
To assess office occupancy habits since pandemic lockdowns went into effect, Kastle Systems has been examining keycard, fob, and app data from 3,600 buildings and 41,000 businesses in 138 cities. Its weekly back-to-the-office barometer reflects access activity in Houston and nine other major metros:
- Dallas
- Austin
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Washington, D.C.
- San Francisco
- San Jose, California
Elsewhere, Austin shows up at No. 5, with a 35.1 percent occupancy rate.
In last place among the 10 metros is New York City, where the occupancy rate was 17.4 percent.
