Behind the economy .. “Google” abandons remote work

Sundar Pichai.

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Google recently reported that it had bought an office building in Manhattan in New York City, for $2.1 billion, which is one of the clearest indications, so far, of the growing desire of major technology companies for office space, even as these companies embrace remote work.

The new building deal in the West Side is the most expensive sale of a single office building in the United States since the start of the Corona pandemic, and it is also one of the most expensive deals in American history, according to Real Capital, a data company.

Cities usually welcome the arrival of big tech companies to bring in high-paid employees, although their presence may raise concerns about rising rents for both commercial and residential buildings.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google has embraced remote work more aggressively than its counterpart in large companies, allowing employees to work at home since the spring of 2020.

The CEO of Alphabet, the parent company that owns Google, Sundar Pichai, said the company will delay its return to offices until January, but the purchase of the Manhattan office underscores how the company views office space as an important part of its long-term strategy.

Pichai told employees that most of them would end up spending three days a week in the office and two days working remotely, according to an email in May that Pichai sent to employees and posted by Google.

Google often prefers to buy buildings because owning space makes it easier to change them in the future.

Google has expanded its New York offices in recent years, and it now employs 12,000 people in the city, its largest workforce outside California.

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