Atlanta office visits outpace most major metros in post-pandemic rebound
Why it matters: Offices aren't just rows of desks. They provide opportunities for networking and mentorship, and some CEOs say they've discovered their companies move faster when employees share the same space.
By the numbers: July metro Atlanta office visits were 14.8% lower than July 2019 levels, according to the Placer.ai Nationwide Office Building Index.
Yes, but: Office visits are up 10% compared to July 2024.
Zoom in: Atlanta had the second-best showing of a major metropolitan area behind Miami and New York City — the first of the major metros tracked by Placer to return to growth since COVID hit.
How it works: Placer tracks foot traffic at 1,000 commercial office buildings with ground-floor retail nationwide.
In the weeds: Ken Ashley, the executive director of commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield's Atlanta office, told Axios return to work mandates, cabin fever and employers making offices more enticing for workers all play a role.
According to a February 2025 Cushman & Wakefield survey, 81% of respondents said their company had an in-office mandate.
Nearly 70% of those respondents said the mandate did not increase turnover.
What they're saying: One senior tech executive told Ashley their company recently implemented a rule requiring new hires to live within a specific radius of the office, Ashley said.
"It might require two weeks to get on someone's calendar for a video meeting, or I could just see them coming back in from lunch and ask them a question," he said, relaying the conversation.
"And if we've got important decisions that can be made with a brief conversation, we can accelerate the pace of business."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
12 minutes ago
- CNBC
What's driving Home Depot's August stock rally and can it continue?
Home Depot shares are showing signs of life as optimism builds for an interest rate cut at next month's Federal Reserve meeting. The next test is earnings. The Club stock, which is one of the 30 names that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average , is having its best month of the year, even with Monday's more than 1% slide. Tuesday's earnings report before the opening bell, however, will spotlight the retailer's actual business performance and may determine where shares go from here. They have gained nearly 7.5% so far in August. "Home Depot, the company, is not doing well. Home Depot, the stock is on fire," Jim Cramer said during our August Monthly Meeting last week. "It's a stock that needs lower rates," Jim added, to bring down rates on mortgages and home equity loans. HD YTD mountain Home Depot YTD And, lower rates are, indeed, what the market expects from the Fed, with a more than 80% chance of a September cut, according to the CME FedWatch tool , and at least one more by year-end. Mortgage rates, which have followed the 10-year Treasury yield south since late May, hit their lowest levels since late October 2024. As of last Thursday, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.58%, according to Freddie Mac , the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. Below 6.5% for a 30-year has historically been seen as a level that spurs housing activity, which Home Depot needs as a supplier to homebuilders, contractors, and homeowners doing their own renovation projects. "We've seen the last couple of weeks, as rate cut odds improve, what could happen," said Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis for the Club. The real estate market has been stalled due to those high home prices and elevated mortgage rates. The latter is especially punitive because so many people secured super-low rates during Covid, which are keeping them put. During sluggish activity from do-it-yourself customers, Home Depot has been taking steps to bolster its business aimed at professionals. Last year, Home Depot acquired SRS Distribution, a leading supplier of roofing and building materials, in an $18.25 billion deal. The home improvement giant then doubled down this year, with a successful $4.3 billion bid to acquire GMS back in June. "We believe the SRS platform has established a firm foundation for capitalizing on Complex Pro that is performing well," wrote Stifel analysts in a note to clients Sunday. The complex pro segment in the home improvement industry refers to large-scale projects handled by contractors. Analysts added, "We view the potential GMS acquisition positively with modest synergy potential with HD leveraging its financial strength to invest behind favorable long-term construction trends amid difficult industry conditions." In addition to listening for any further details on the GMS transaction and the SRS integration, investors on Tuesday will get a look at Home Depot's spring and early summer sales — a period that Jim has called Home Depot's Christmas . As my colleague Kevin Stankiewicz wrote in an earnings preview over the weekend, "The market is looking for a companywide same-store sales increase of 1.3% in the July quarter, according to FactSet. That would mark a significant acceleration from the 0.3% drop seen in the February-to-April period. Investors also will be looking for any tariff-related hit to margins after executives said in May they expected to 'generally maintain' current prices." Bottom line While encouraged by Home Depot's price action lately, the stock is coming into Tuesday's earnings print hot, which Jim has often said makes him cautious. "It's such a hard stock to own because we're playing rates. We're not playing the business," he added. We may get a hint on rates before the Fed's meeting next month. On Friday, Fed chief Jerome Powell is set to address the central bank's annual confab in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long HD. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Business Wire
41 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Nursa and Oxford Valley Health Announce Settlement of Legal Dispute
SALT LAKE CITY & TOMS RIVER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nursa, Inc., the leading healthcare staffing technology platform, and Oxford Valley Health, a multi-facility skilled nursing operator, today announced they have reached a comprehensive settlement agreement resolving all claims and disputes between the parties related to their contractual relationship and associated litigation. Nursa's January 2024 non-payment claim against Oxford will be resolved by way of the settlement agreement. Oxford Valley Health's counterclaims against Nursa will be dismissed. Resolution in Good Faith The parties have resolved their dispute in good faith through productive negotiations that prioritize the shared interests of both organizations and the healthcare communities they serve. Both Nursa and Oxford Valley Health are committed to moving forward collaboratively and constructively. "We are pleased to have reached this mutually beneficial resolution," said representatives from both companies in a joint statement. "This settlement allows both organizations to focus on their core mission of providing quality healthcare services and solutions to patients in need." Shared Commitment to Industry Integrity Nursa and Oxford Valley Health are aligned in their shared commitment to combating fraudulent practices within the healthcare staffing industry that harm patients and the organizations that serve them. Both companies recognize the critical importance of maintaining transparent, ethical business practices that support healthcare providers and protect patient care. The parties acknowledge their mutual dedication to upholding the highest standards of integrity in healthcare staffing operations and billing practices. This shared commitment extends to working collaboratively with industry partners to promote best practices that benefit all stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. Recognition of Technological Advancement Oxford Valley Health recognizes the continuous, iterative improvements in Nursa's technologies over time. The healthcare staffing landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and both parties acknowledge the importance of technological innovation in addressing the ongoing challenges facing healthcare providers nationwide. "Technology platforms like Nursa play an important role in connecting healthcare facilities with qualified professionals," noted Oxford Valley Health. "We appreciate Nursa's ongoing efforts to enhance their platform and services." COVID-19 Pandemic Acknowledgment The parties acknowledge that the unique pressures and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for all teams working to address urgent healthcare needs during that period. The extraordinary circumstances created by the global health crisis required rapid adaptation and innovative solutions from healthcare providers and staffing agencies alike. Both organizations recognize that the pandemic environment presented complex operational challenges that tested traditional processes and systems across the healthcare industry. The lessons learned during this period continue to inform best practices for emergency preparedness and healthcare staffing solutions. Moving Forward Both companies are uniquely situated in the health-care industry and remain focused on their respective missions: Nursa continues to connect healthcare facilities with qualified professionals through its technology platform, and Oxford Valley Health maintains its commitment to revitalizing struggling nursing home facilities and providing high-quality skilled nursing care to patients across its facilities. "This resolution allows both organizations to move forward positively and continue serving the healthcare community," the parties stated jointly. About Nursa Nursa is a nationwide platform that exists to put a nurse at the bedside of every patient in need, removing the financial strain and operational gaps of traditional staffing agencies. Nursa's technology enables hospitals, health systems, skilled nursing facilities and community organizations to easily secure reliable, qualified, nursing talent for per diem shifts and contract work. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Nursa is trusted by a growing community of more than 3,400 facilities and 400,000 nurses nationwide and is accredited by The Joint Commission. For more information, visit About Oxford Valley Health Oxford Valley Health is a skilled nursing provider operating facilities in Arizona, Nevada, and is committed to providing high-quality care to patients in long-term care settings.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Workers are ‘job hugging' or clinging to their positions ‘for dear life': report
The pandemic era's 'great resignation' has morphed into desperate 'job hugging' — with workers clinging to their positions at levels not seen in nearly a decade, according to the latest data. The so-called quits rate among US workers slipped to 2.0% in June, far below the 3.0% peak of November 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just 3.14 million people quit in June — down from 3.27 million in May — marking a steady return to pre-pandemic lows. By contrast, 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November 2021. Advertisement Employees are holding onto jobs 'for dear life,' consultants at Korn Ferry wrote in a report last week that was cited on Monday by CNBC. 4 Many workers are clinging to their jobs 'for dear life' as quitting plunges to the lowest level in years. kieferpix – In total, about 47.4 million Americans quit their jobs throughout 2021, setting an annual record. As of June, around 19.3 million Americans have voluntarily quit their jobs year-to-date. Advertisement 'There is this stagnation in the labor market, where the hires, quits and layoff rates are low,' Laura Ullrich, director of economic research in North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told CNBC. 'There's just not a lot of movement at all.' 4 The era of job hopping has given way to 'job hugging,' with employees too fearful to leave. Studio Romantic – That has led to the voluntary quits rate crashing to lows unseen since 2016, outside the first days of the COVID pandemic. Advertisement 'There's quite a bit of uncertainty in the world — economic, political, global — and I think uncertainty causes people to naturally' remain in a holding pattern, Matt Bohn, an executive search consultant at Korn Ferry, told the Comcast-owned financial news service. He compared spooked workers to skittish investors sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the right opportunity. The lack of movement comes as higher interest rates make it more costly for businesses to borrow money and expand operations. Job growth has slowed sharply in recent months, with the hiring rate plunging to its lowest level in more than a decade, excluding early pandemic days. Advertisement 4 Rising uncertainty has left many workers paralyzed about their prospects for a new role. fizkes – More CEOs now plan to shrink their workforce over the next 12 months than expand it — the first time that's happened since 2020, according to a recent survey. A Conference Board poll published this month found 34% of executives planning cuts versus just 27% expecting to hire. The dramatic shift from the great resignation to the great stay reflects a labor market that's essentially frozen solid. Workers who couldn't stop quitting two years ago now won't budge. But this death grip on current jobs carries serious risks, experts warned. Job huggers are sacrificing cash because those who switch typically command higher wages than those who stay put, Ullrich noted. 4 Young entrants and recent graduates face an especially tough time breaking into the frozen job market. Andrey Popov – Workers getting too comfortable may stagnate rather than take on additional responsibilities or learn new skills. Advertisement This impacts their marketability and career growth when the labor market eventually improves, Bohn cautioned. Employers might also decide these static workers no longer meet performance standards. It's not inherently bad to stay in a job for a long time, experts stressed, but hugging too tightly can backfire. The freeze-up also makes it harder for new entrants like recent graduates to break in. With fewer workers moving up or out, there's nowhere for them to slot in, Ullrich told CNBC.
