Hong Kong Co-Working Thrives as Singapore Struggles in Shutdown

  • Hong Kong workers look for alternatives to cramped apartments
  • Singapore co-working spaces caught in city-wide shutdown
People work in the communal area at the Executive Centre in Hong Kong, April 16.Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg
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On a recent Friday afternoon, dozens of people sat hunched over laptops at TheDesk’s six-story co-working space near Hong Kong’s Central business district, while others chatted over snacks at tables on the outdoor terrace -- all of them ignoring government advice to work from home to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Whether escaping tiny apartments that aren’t conducive to work, or less concerned by a virus that has infected around 1,000 residents compared to more than 110,000 New Yorkers, the surprise result is co-working providers are thriving in Hong Kong, even as much of the world remains in lockdown.