Delta variant delaying re-entry decisions, but not derailing office recovery

The office market will recover and remain a critical part of the workplace, and of investment portfolios, according to JLL’s research using its index, Workforce Preferences Barometer, which combined 12 indicators to provide a proprietary analysis on how close the country is to a return to “normalcy.”

“A physical office reinforces culture, drives collaboration and innovation, enables professional growth and brings a company's best to its clients and employees,” said John Gates, JLL's CEO, Americas markets.

Ben Breslau, JLL chief research officer, added, “Our comeback index, which tracks tangible data such as office entry badge swipe rates, leasing activity, lease term, TSA checkpoints, unemployment claims and more, showed that we hit a peak of activity and office usage in July. The index retracted a bit in the last two months. While we expect some additional short-term delays from Delta that could push another sustained wave of office recovery into the firs