As America's largest economic center and its most populous city what happens in New York is often an interesting barometer for the rest of the US — and, according to the latest data from the MTA, New Yorkers aren't in a rush to get back to the office.
The latest subway ridership data shows daily subway usage in March 2022 that is still roughly 41% below what it was when compared to pre-pandemic days, a significant recovery on 2020, but still nowhere near "back to normal".
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
That data is interesting in the context of New York's wider economic recovery. Relative to other cities, NYC has struggled more economically since the pandemic. Its unemployment rate is 7.6% — double the national average of 3.8% — and the borough of Manhattan, by far New York's most prosperous, has been the slowest to recover.
