https://archive.ph/7TFDL
More than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, exasperation is growing among business, city and community leaders across the U.S. who have seen offices left behind while life returns to normal at restaurants, airlines, sporting events and other places where people gather. Even after many employers have adopted hybrid schedules, less than half the number of pre-pandemic office workers are returning to business districts consistently.
Nearly two out of every three workers whose jobs can be done remotely prefer a mix of remote and in-person work, according to a global survey completed in March by accounting and consulting firm PwC. And 68% of workers in North America said they would consider looking for another job if their managers insist they return to their workplace full-time, according to a November 2021 survey by payroll provider ADP.
Thousands of small businesses, meanwhile, are struggling to survive with so many workers home. At Blue Park Kitchen, a lunch-focused restaurant in Manhattan’s Financial District, revenue is down about 30% from prepandemic levels. It has been growing recently, mostly thanks to catering orders from companies offering free lunch to their staff, said owner and chef Kelly Fitzpatrick. “New York is particularly tough because our fixed costs are so astronomical that until we get back to 85% to 90% of where we were pre-Covid, it’s impossible to make any money,” she said.