On average, only 60% of workers are expected to return to Manhattan offices in September as the city tries to recover from the pandemic, but many have raised concerns, not because of the coronavirus, but about safety, especially in public transportation, reported a survey among CEOs.
About 12% of employees in Manhattan had already returned to the workplace in May, and that number is expected to rise to 29% by the end of July, according to the new poll by the nonprofit Partnership for New York City (PFNYC), among 180 top companies.
By September, with the start of the school year being 100% in-person in NYC, an average of 62% of workers are likely to return to their Manhattan offices, CEOs said in the report released Monday. But the number drops to 40% in the case of the technology sector.
But now there is a big problem that most of the population fear: insecurity, especially in public transportation, which has become one of the main concerns of the workforce to return to Manhattan.
A significant 84% of the executives consulted consider "that the perceptions of employees about public transport continue to be an obstacle to return to the office", including cleanliness and, above all, security.
Other recent MTA surveys have pointed to the same results: The city has added a police presence to the Metro, but an April poll found that less than half of riders (45%) had noticed the additional officers.
Many people have moved taking advantage of the fact that they no longer have to work daily in NYC, among other reasons; and with vacant offices and business travel decreased, restaurants, retail businesses, and hotels around the city have also been affected. Ironically, neglect fuels homelessness and crime, creating a vicious cycle.
Cuomo says there is an urgent need to make changes against this crime wave.
Governor Cuomo said last week that New York City’s biggest problems are “crime, crime, crime”, and the Big Apple won’t recover from the COVID-19 pandemic until the streets and subways are safe again.
Cuomo's assessment comes amid an ongoing debate over police reform in the city, growing concern about violent crime, and the upcoming primary elections that will likely determine who will be the next mayor. "My two cents for New Yorkers, they are going to elect a new mayor, a mayor who can realistically deal with crime," he also said.
According to the last NYPD report, crime rose by 30.4% in April 2021 compared to April 2020, and the greatest increases came in shootings, which were up 166%.
It is clear that we need a change in the way crime is being dealt with in the city. And residents, in general, are aware of this problem.
What do you think about this? What are your fears of going back to the office?