Despite the efforts of employers to return back to the office, Toronto’s Financial District remains with empty buildings. Although 85% of Toronto residents are now fully vaccinated, nearly 80% continue to work from home.
The data from the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBOT) and Telus identified cell phone data to reveal trends in the movement of workers and visitors in Toronto and across the Innovation Corridor. According to a press release:
“The Recover Tracker is able to access worker and visitor movement as they come in and out of key employment areas, known as ‘business districts’.”
Analysts found that Toronto’s Financial District was the hardest hit in terms of daily worker visits. Across most business districts throughout Toronto, weekday employee volumes are 25% below 2019 levels.
Some experts believe that this shift might be permanent as many workplaces are going either fully remote or hybrid. Additionally, the conditions to return aren’t fully right to support workers in great numbers in offices.
