The prospects of getting up early to catch the morning train or sitting in an hour of traffic are still deterring employees from filling offices across the country.

EIght of the 10 major cities with the largest decline in office occupancy during the pandemic had averaged one-way commutes longer than a half-hour, according to the Wall Street Journal’s analysis. The analysis used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and building-access company Kastle Systems.

New York City is a glaring example. While public transportation and urban living helped those residing in the city, many commuted from the suburbs, adding up to an average pre-pandemic commute of 37.7 minutes, the longest of the cities analyzed. Keycard swipes are down 62 percent from early 2020, five percentage points more than the average of the major cities.

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