Dr. Nicholas Bloom: Office vacancy rates
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The pandemic changed how and where people work, reducing the need for office space and leaving vacancy rates at record highs in many parts of the country. On July 29, 2026, SciLine interviewed Dr. Nicholas Bloom, a professor of economics at Stanford University.
TV bundle includes:
- Soundbite (SOT)
- VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
- Downloadable graphics
- Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
- Data
These resources are free to use. No attribution to SciLine is required.
Soundbite (SOT) and pronouncer
Downloadable video of the soundbite
High definition (mp4, 1280x720)
- Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
-
ANCHOR
THE PANDEMIC ENDED… BUT CLOCKING IN FROM HOME DID NOT.
FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS… REMOTE AND HYBRID WORK IS NOW A PERMANENT PART OF THE WORK WEEK.VO
STANFORD ECONOMICS PROFESSOR DOCTOR NICHOLAS BLOOM SAYS ABOUT 25-PERCENT OF PAID WORKDAYS IN THE COUNTRY ARE NOW DONE FROM HOME… COMPARED TO AROUND SEVEN-PERCENT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
HE SAYS THE SHIFT IS LIKELY PERMANENT… RESHAPING OFFICES… DOWNTOWNS… AND WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.
DEMAND FOR OFFICE SPACE IS DOWN ABOUT 20-PERCENT… SOME CITY CENTERS ARE QUIETER… AND MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO THE SUBURBS FOR SPACE.
BUT DOCTOR BLOOM SAYS THE ECONOMY IS ADAPTING… WITH THE BENEFITS OF REMOTE AND HYBRID WORK OUTWEIGHING THE DOWNSIDES.SOT
Duration: :28
Super: Dr. Nicholas Bloom – Professor, Stanford
“There’s a very funny old study in 2004 in Science by Danny Kahneman, showing people hate commuting even more than they hate working. So that’s one reason it matters. I think another reason it has big social benefits, so less congestion, less pollution. We have studies showing that parents spend more time with their kids, they do better in school. Fertility rates look like they’ve increased a bit by work from home because it’s easier to look after kids. So there’s a number of major social benefits.”VO
WHILE SOME JOBS HAVE GONE FULLY REMOTE… DOCTOR BLOOM SAYS HYBRID IS LIKELY TO REMAIN THE DOMINANT MODEL… CALLING IT “ONE OF THE FEW THINGS” IN HIS CAREER THAT’S BEEN AN ALL-AROUND BENEFIT.
Graphic: In-person work after COVID-19
Download a graphic illustrating in-person work after COVID-19 for newscasts and web stories.
Raw, full-length interview covers:
- Why office vacancy rates remain high years after the pandemic;
- How remote and hybrid work impact downtowns and local businesses;
- What rising office vacancies mean for property values and local economies;
- How companies are adapting to changing workplace trends; and
- What workers and companies can expect as office trends evolve.
Data:
