Full-time workers in central London are now spending more than half the working week in the office, but the city is still behind global comparators such as New York, Paris and Singapore.
Hybrid working research from the Centre for Cities think tank showed the average central London full-time worker spent 2.7 days in the office in June 2024, an increase from 2.2 days in April 2023. In New York, the average worker spent 3.1 days in the office, in Singapore, 3.2 days and in Paris, 3.5 days.
Among employers with office mandates in place, the average employer in London mandates fewer days in the office – 3.1 days – than their counterparts in Sydney (4.0), Singapore (3.6), New York (3.4), Toronto (3.3) and Paris (3.2).
Hybrid working research
Hybrid working as productive as full-time office attendance
More London employers have introduced office mandates in the past year. Only 7% of London’s office workers were not mandated to be in the office at all in June 2024, down from 25% in April 2023.
The hybrid working research also suggested that most employees would accept more office time being mandated.
Ninety-five per cent of those surveyed – both in London and across all cities – said there are benefits to more face-time with colleagues. Only 9% said they would look for another job if their office mandate were increased.
Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: “There’s no substitute for the benefits gained thanks to face-to-face interaction, particularly for younger workers. Having access to the wide variety of activities and experiences that offices in city centres offer is crucial for them, and the businesses they work for, to be successful.
“London has huge assets – world-class public transport, deep labour markets and lots of cutting-edge firms. Encouraging more people back to the office, to be in line with other global cities, will enable the capital to continue to play the important national and international roles in the future.”
London workers aged 18-24 spend the most time working in the office on average each week – bucking the trend observed in the other cities surveyed – and they are the most likely out of all age groups to say they work best in the office (43%).
Chris Hayward, policy chairman for the City of London Corporation, said: “This is an insightful report from the Centre for Cities, and we are ready to support local businesses and central government bring workers back to the office. The continued year-on-year rise in office attendance shows that our Destination City programme, the City Corporation’s growth strategy, for the Square Mile, is having real impact
“Attracting new businesses and people to a dynamic and thriving City is vital for the Square Mile’s future and we are excited to work with partners across London to do so.”
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