Office-Leasing Market Shows Strong Post-Pandemic Recovery, Reports Say

Demand for office space is rising even as office-using employment remains below 2022 levels, according to an analysis.

A view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building in New York City on July 29, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Demand for office space is showing signs of a strong recovery, with the first quarter of 2026 marking one of the most active periods for the market since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent reports.

Office market activity reached its highest post-pandemic level in the first quarter, according to the VTS Office Demand Index released on April 28. The index, which tracks new in-person and virtual office tours relative to total office square footage, rose 18 percent from the fourth quarter of 2025 and 13 percent from the same period a year earlier.