Office attendance across the U.S. is still trailing behind pre-pandemic levels, but recent data shows encouraging signs of recovery. According to Placer.ai, March 2025 saw a noticeable uptick in foot traffic to office buildings, outperforming the same month in 2024 and hinting at growing momentum in the return-to-office trend.
New York and Miami Lead Recovery
Among the cities tracked, New York City and Miami are emerging as the top performers in terms of office attendance recovery. Compared to March 2019, New York’s office visits are down by just 11.4%, and Miami trails slightly behind at 17.3%.
Other cities showing year-over-year improvements include Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
The figures come from Placer.ai’s Office Building Index, which tracks foot traffic across 1,000 U.S. commercial office buildings that include ground-floor retail. Government and mixed-use buildings are excluded from this analysis.
Mandates and Market Changes Drive Activity
The start of 2025 brought with it a wave of return-to-office policies from large corporations, pushing more workers back into physical workspaces. This change has spurred increased demand for office leasing, particularly in urban areas with access to restaurants, public transport, and retail amenities.
In Arizona, although the number of lease transactions dipped slightly year-over-year, the total square footage leased grew significantly — highlighting a trend toward fewer, but larger deals.
Businesses appear to be seeking out larger, more functional spaces to support in-person work, particularly in markets like Phoenix where the business climate is attractive.
Midwest Markets Gain Traction
The Midwest is also showing signs of recovery. In St. Louis, for example, Class A and B office vacancies in the financial district have fallen from 20% to around 11.6%. Premium office spaces are seeing heightened competition among high-credit tenants, indicating a renewed interest in top-tier locations.
Chicago, meanwhile, is experiencing a change in office dynamics. With labor market uncertainty rising, more employees are opting to return to physical offices, driven by job security concerns and improved amenities offered by employers and landlords.
Office Amenities Fuel Engagement
To support this, landlords are focusing on making offices more attractive to employees. In New York, initiatives like ticket giveaways, social events, and in-lobby concerts have helped drive up building occupancy. Practical support, such as childcare programs, is also making a difference in tenant retention.
Outlook
Although vacancy rates in high-rise buildings remain high — especially in urban cores — many property owners are looking at creative solutions like hotel or residential conversions. As foot traffic increases and tenant preferences evolve, these changes show how businesses and workers are rethinking the office environment.
Overall, the first quarter of 2025 has brought a renewed push toward in-person work, backed by stronger leasing activity, strategic amenities, and changing corporate policies. While the market has not fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, the path to recovery is becoming clearer across several key U.S. cities.
