Scrapped Covid rules bring fewer than 20% of UK city workers back to the office

12th August 2021

Article from The Guardian 12 August 2021.

Footfall in 30 big cities well below pre-pandemic levels despite end to guidance on non-essential workers staying at home.

Fewer than one in five people working in cities across the UK had returned to the office by the end of July, figures have revealed.

A report from the Centre for Cities thinktank said worker footfall in 30 big cities stood at an average of just 18% of pre-pandemic levels in the immediate aftermath of most Covid laws being scrapped in England.

The biggest migration of workers back to the office has occurred in Brighton, with 49% of people having returned to their desks, a rise of 6% on the previous week. This was followed by Gloucester (39%), Southend (38%) and York (37%).

Cities where only a fraction of workers have gone back to the office include Glasgow, with an 8% figure - the city has had coronavirus restrictions in force for longer, given Scotland's slower easing than England - followed by London and Oxford (15%) and Sheffield and Milton Keynes (16%).

Read the full article HERE

To see how this might affect other aspects such as rent arrears on commercial premises leading to affects on property companies, banks and pension funds read the blog by Richard Murphy of Tax Research HERE