Will Office-based Work Ever Make a comeback in Colorado?

Will Colorado employees ever fully return to working in person? That's a pressing question as remote work continues to dominate the Colorado workforce, even amid calls from employers to return to the office. Census figures released in 2022 shed light on the current state of affairs.

According to the data, 24% of workers in the Denver metro area were working from home in 2022, which is a slight decrease from the 28% reported in 2021. These numbers indicate that remote work is still a significant part of the working landscape in Colorado. However, it's worth noting that Boulder had the highest percentage of remote workers among all metro areas in the United States last year, coming in at an impressive 32%. On the other hand, Colorado Springs reported a lower rate of 18%, which remained consistent since 2021.

The rising popularity of work-from-home policies has substantial implications for the future of downtown Denver and other major cities in Colorado. This trend is reshaping the American workplace, and it's important to examine the long-term effects it might have on the social fabric and economic dynamics of these cities.

Looking back five years ago, only 9% of employees in the Denver metro area reported working remotely, according to the 2017 census figures. This number has tripled since the onset of the pandemic. While 15% of the entire United States worked remotely last year, the prevalence of remote work is much higher on both the East and West coasts and in other large metro areas, as indicated by national data.

While it's difficult to predict the long-term trajectory with certainty, it seems unlikely that Colorado employees will fully revert to working exclusively in person. Instead, a hybrid model that combines remote work and office-based work is poised to become the new normal. Employers are increasingly recognizing the advantages of a flexible work environment that allows for a balance between remote and in-person work.