Corner office not a guarantee

The notion that ascending the corporate ladder leads to a larger office is flawed, according to several office/commercial research sources.

The notion that ascending the corporate ladder leads to a larger office is flawed, according to several office/commercial research sources. Reis Inc., of New York, says that in more than 50 of the largest cities in the U.S., companies allowed an average 150 to 200 sf per staffer—down substantially from the 227 sf per employee allocated in the '80s.

Nationwide, an estimated 17 percent of office space is vacant. But from 1997 to 2002, white-collar employee office space shrank by about 14 percent. The International Facility Management Association of Houston says the average senior manager's office was 193 square feet in 1997 but 169 square feet in 2002. That trend may drive up vacancies even more as leases are renewed. One expert in Los Angeles said that if the current trend of smaller overall office space continues, it could represent a one to two million sf increase in the city's vacant commercial space.