The great exodus from the cities ended in its midst. COVID-19 pandemic According to the US Department of Commerce Census Bureau, the trend is not only declining, but reversed.

With the first wave of strict quarantines, many workers with possibility of remote work they left large urban centers, fled to the suburbs, or even to the American countryside, and demographers and employers wondered if this trend was indicative of permanent changes in labor relations.

However, the data is now showing a return to pre-pandemic levels.

According to an analysis by Brookings Institution chief demographer William Frey, 11 of the 15 largest US metropolitan areas, including New York, San Francisco and Seattle, gained or lost fewer new residents than last year.

The Washington metropolitan area, which lost 1,772 people last year, added 8,849 residents.

Some of the most dramatic changes have taken place in Manhattan and San Francisco, cities with large numbers of workers who have been allowed to work remotely during the pandemic.

Its population Manhattan which decreased by 5.87% in 2021, increased by 1.11% last year, while San Francisco it lost 6.79% of its population in 2021 but shrank by just 0.33% in 2022.

For many counties and metropolitan areas increase in immigration contributed to population growth, notes Frey. The influx of immigrants to urban centers and suburbs last year returned to levels not seen since the Obama administration.

In addition, regions with student population which was “empty” during the pandemic.

“The population of many major university counties has fully recovered this year as students returned,” said Christine Hartley, assistant chief of forecasting for the Census Bureau.

Source: Washington Post.