Although return-to-office mandates seem to be everywhere, few workplaces are demanding that people show up in person five days a week, says Placer.ai in a new white paper. “Post-pandemic work life appears to have settled into a new hybrid normal, with many workers coming into work between two and four times a week,” according to the white paper. 

Office buildings may be the first to feel the squeeze, but “the ripple effects of lower workplace attendance are impacting everything from neighborhood food trucks to stores, hotels and subway systems,” according to the white paper, titled Exploring the On-Site Workforce in 5 Major U.S. Cities. “To adapt effectively to these changing circumstances… policymakers and business owners need to understand current employee visitation patterns.” 

The white paper leverages location intelligence from January to March (Q1) 2023 to explore the preferences, behaviors and profiles of on-site workers in the workplace-heavy downtown areas of five major American cities: Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco. It studies who’s returning to the office, what their professional backgrounds are and when they come in, how far their commute is and how likely they are to grab a cocktail after work.