City of London Staff Return in Highest Numbers for 16 Months

(Bloomberg) -- Workplaces in the City of London were the busiest they’ve been for 16 months last week after the government dropped coronavirus restrictions in England. Even so, attendance is yet to top 50% of pre-pandemic levels.

Just under half of workers were back in the office on Thursday, according to data compiled by Google. That was only a marginal increase on the previous week, meaning the big bounce in attendance that employers had hoped for has so far failed to materialize.

London’s biggest financial district emptied in March last year after the government told people to work from home if they could. Employers have been struggling to tempt staff back as the spread of the delta variant puts many off commuting.

Read more: London Staff Want Pay Rises to Return to Office, Survey Says

Footfall in the center of the city is unlikely to revert to pre-pandemic levels because office workers are resisting a return to five days a week in the office, NatWest Group Plc Chairman Howard Davies said in a Bloomberg TV interview last week.

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