Return to Offices Gives CEOs a Glimmer of Hope in Earnings Calls

Businesses ranging from office supplies retailers to childcare providers have cited major employers’ push to get workers back to offices as a tailwind during third-quarter earnings calls — or at least a reason to be hopeful. 

That’s a shift from last quarter, when disappointments were blamed on the stubborn persistence of work-from-home preferences. Many executives were encouraged by September’s small, but in some cases significant, post-Labor Day bump in office occupancy, though some were hoping for a quicker pace.