Why San Joseans aren’t showing up at the office

Right now, only 34% of SJ offices are occupied and being used by employees. This aligns with data from America’s big cities, in which most are opting post-COVID to work in hybrid or fully remote capacities. But why? In the Wall Street Journal, Shehnaz Ali analyzes several factors pushing jobholders to stay home, most namely the transit time/costs and public safety concerns of commuting to work. To receive daily updates of new Opp Now stories, click here.

One issue for workers in big cities is time spent in transit. New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago have some of the nation’s longest commute times—as well as some of the lowest return-to-office rates, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the country’s 24 largest metropolitan areas in May.

Concerns about crime and safety, including on public transportation, have contributed to urban employees’ unease. In New York City, major crimes, which include murder, robbery and assault, rose about 7.5% from 2019 to 2021, according to New York Police Department statistics. In San Francisco, there were 56 homicides in 2021 compared with 41 in 2019, while robberies and assaults both fell. And in Los Angeles, violent crime edged up about 4% between 2019 and 2021.

Those issues come on top of a reluctance to return to the office that extends beyond big cities. Companies are hearing from workers that “I’m still worried about Covid. Gas prices are $5 a gallon and it’s too expensive to go into work,” said Brian Kropp, vice president of human resources research at advisory firm Gartner. “Or, why should I go into work when half the people I need are going to be at home on any given day?”

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.

This article originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Read the whole thing here.

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