Office Traffic Climbs As Return Accelerates

Nationwide Gains Amid Volatile Conditions

Office traffic continued to rebound in February, with major US markets reporting higher in-office attendance compared to a year earlier. Globe St reports that the latest Placer.ai office building index shows the nationwide visit gap has narrowed to 31.9% below 2019 levels, marking the most robust February since the pandemic began. Influenced by a tight labor market and employer return-to-office mandates, office utilization remains well below pre-pandemic benchmarks but continues to improve.

Regional Disparities Shape Recovery

While Sun Belt and West Coast markets fueled much of the growth, severe winter storms held back momentum in the Northeast. Manhattan’s recovery gap widened to 21.3% below February 2019 after a late-month blizzard, and Boston saw no growth year over year due to heavy snowfall. Conversely, markets like San Francisco posted an 11.9% annual increase in visits, benefiting from new tech sector hiring. Other strong performers included Denver (up 10.7%), Atlanta (9.9%), Dallas (9.3%), Miami (8.2%), and Los Angeles (8.5%). The uneven performance underscores how local economic drivers and return-to-office policies continue to reshape office utilization patterns across major US markets.

Upward Trajectory Remains Modest

Despite recent improvements, office traffic remains nearly one-third below pre-pandemic levels. The gradual climb is evident in historical data: in February 2021, visits were 83.5% below 2019 levels, improving steadily to 31.9% below in 2026. Analysts expect continued fluctuations, but the ongoing increase in office traffic suggests employees are steadily returning—especially as employers push for more in-person work requirements.