Half of firms open offices outside city centres, says IWG

More than half of businesses surveyed have opened offices or working spaces outside city centres in response to the shift towards hybrid working, according to IWG. The flexible workspace provider, which operates about 300 offices under brands including Regus and Spaces, said 82% of firms have changed their office space needs to cater for more flexible working. Its survey of 500 businesses found that 54% now have offices or co-working space outside city centres, and 38% have secondary locations in commuter towns. “It’s clear that the old ways of working, with a daily unproductive and expensive commute, are long gone,” said chief executive Mark Dixon. The research also found that 73% of businesses have cut their office space costs as a result of trimming central city needs. The Guardian