Coworking Trends in Europe 2020-2021: Latest data by Deskmag

In 2020, this Deskmag conference deck presented the first results of the Coworking Survey Europe at Coworking Europe on 25 November. The survey had run from 12 to 24 November 2020 and had captured conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examined how European coworking spaces that had opened before 2020 changed their business models, distinguishing increases and reductions in supply from changes in demand. The deck reported greater provision of online services, temporary restricted discounts, marketing expenditure and private offices, alongside reductions in community-oriented activities, hot desks, staff working hours and staff numbers. It also considered demand after the first pandemic wave, landlords’ responses to rent renegotiation, the effect of distancing rules on workstation capacity, revenue losses, business survival under prolonged disruption and operators’ expectations for the post-COVID period. A note in the slides explained that legal distancing measures had reduced desk capacity, particularly in open workspaces, while bans on physical events had curtailed community activities. The deck stated that regional supporters had promoted the survey through newsletters, while the questionnaire had been independently developed and the results independently analysed.

Key findings

• Among spaces opened before 2020, 44% supplied more online services and 43% offered more temporary restricted discounts.
• Community-oriented activities were reduced by 63% of spaces, while 39% supplied fewer hot desks.
• Staff working hours were reduced by 37% of spaces, while 33% reduced staff numbers.

Presented at Coworking Europe 2020