What the UK evidence tells us
ONS reported that 28% of working adults in Great Britain hybrid worked between January and March 2025. The research was published on 11 June 2025. It describes a particular period and population; it is not an October 2026 attendance measure or a forecast of furniture demand. Read the ONS release.
A European perspective
Eurofound’s report on its 2025 Living and Working in the EU e-survey, published on 19 January 2026, highlights work–life balance challenges where remote-working preferences do not match actual arrangements. Its online survey findings provide context, but should not be treated as directly comparable with the ONS Great Britain measure. Read Eurofound’s report and survey information.
Our planning interpretation
These sources do not tell an individual business how many desks to buy. Our practical interpretation is to begin with the people, tasks and attendance patterns in the actual workplace. A blanket “everyone is back” or “nobody needs an office” headline is a weak substitute for a clear brief.
Ask which days are busy, why people come together and what they struggle to do in the current space. Keep any decision to change desk capacity separate from assumptions about national working patterns.
What this means for a furniture project
- Review demand for quiet work, meetings and shared spaces.
- Check whether existing furniture can be reused in a better layout.
- Discuss adjustable workstations and individual requirements.
- Plan storage and equipment access for shared desks.
- Confirm installation responsibilities, particularly across borders.
Make the next step specific
A Manchester business planning a local refresh and an organisation coordinating a European installation may face similar furniture choices but different delivery constraints. Use free planning and design to develop the brief, and agree project management responsibilities before fixing the programme.
This is a planning perspective based on the dated research above, not a furniture-market size estimate or a prediction of prices. We will update it when there is substantive new evidence to discuss.
Explore our free office planning & design service.
