Open Plan Office Statistics (2023 Data)

In this modern era of office innovation, choosing an open-plan office has emerged as one of the most popular design options for businesses. However, they are accompanied by various benefits and disadvantages. For example, seven out of ten companies in the US have some kind of open office plan.

It is not enough to know about or work in an open-plan office. The statistics of such offices show that there are more things you don't know about them. If you want to learn about this, this article is for you; read through to the end.

The Layout of an Open-Plan Office

The layout of an office is a significant factor to consider if you are building one. It is the design and arrangement of an office, whether private or open. Open-plan offices have mostly long tables and chairs for each worker.

While some open-plan offices don't have them, others have glasses or boards on the tables to demarcate each worker's space. Some offices go further and separate more than just the table workspaces. They use boards to separate each worker's entire workspace, making it look like a private office, even if it is not.

Advantages of Open-Plan Offices

Although some people think open-plan offices are wrong, they have a few advantages. Below are some of the benefits.

• It is a more cost-effective way to build an office space. Building private offices for everyone in your company will be very expensive. So, if your company cannot afford it, an open-plan office is the next best option.
• It allows employers to have space for new employees. You will have fewer employees if your company operates with only private offices. Even if you need to do more onboarding, you won't have space to put them, so you employ more. However, it is different in an open-plan office.
• It helps employees communicate better. In the open office, employees see themselves and can share anytime. They won't need to use their emails to communicate or make phone calls.
• In an open office, seats can change quickly when people get promoted or want to rearrange. Employees won't need to do much work other than carry their tools to a different table in the same office space.

Disadvantages of Open-Plan Offices

As much as there are advantages to open-plan offices, there are also disadvantages. Here are some of them.

• Employees won't have privileges. Sometimes some employees might have important phone calls to make, but in an open office, they can't. This is because other people might eavesdrop on their conversation. Also, they can't have private client meetings because everyone else will be there.
• It causes distraction most of the time. Although some people are used to the system and can stay in open offices, many can't. It causes a high level of distraction because other employees might be trying to get your attention when you need to focus. Also, they might be having loud conversations, and you will get distracted if you don't like noise.

50 Statistics of Open-plan Offices

For open-plan offices, there are more advantages than disadvantages. However, some statistics will give you a better understanding.

1. 31% of US Workers Complain that they Carefully Select Their Words When On a client call in an Open Office.

According to research, 31% of workers in the US have made this complaint, even if most of them changed places of work. They are worried they might not be as effective as they should be if they keep hiding the best part of their work because they have no privacy.

2. Compared to Other Office Layouts, an Open Office Consumes Three Times Less Space.

A company building with about 200 employees and private office spaces for all 200 employees will have about three or more stories. This is based on how big the offices are because the building might be more significant if the office spaces are large. This, however, is not the same for open offices, as one floor can contain all 200 employees if the building is comprehensive. The space difference for these two types of offices with the same number of workers is about three times or even more.

3. There is a 62% Chance of More Open-Plan Office Workers Taking Sick Leave Than Other Office Layout Workers.

For some reason, workers in open-plan offices have been reported to take more sick leaves than workers in other office layouts. Of the 100% ill leave workers have taken, 62% are open office workers. This implies that you will probably get sick if you work in such offices. This is so that anyone who becomes ill can spread it to the following employee.

4. Employees are 12% More Likely to Like the Workspace When They Have More Freedom to Work.

Open-plan offices don't allow workers to work with some productive work measures they know. Some people work better when listening to music, but they can't be free to listen to music in an open office. So, such people won't be as productive as they should be. Workers can't have work freedom in an open office for other reasons. One of them is that other colleagues in the office might want to report your work measure, even if it is what works for you.

5. More Than Workers in Other Countries, 45% of US Workers are Less Likely to Work in an Open Office.

In the US, 45% of employees are less likely to work in an open office, leaving the other 55% who like the idea or don't have much choice. This 45% in the US is higher than the percentage of employees in other countries who are less likely to work in open-plan offices.

6. 77% of Employees Believe Open Offices Make Them More Productive.

Although workers working from home are less likely to get stressed than those working in open offices, 77% still think well of the latter. They believe working in an open office has played a massive role in increasing their productivity. The fact that they can share ideas with other employees and get clarity when confused makes them more productive. Also, recruits won't feel alone or lost in this workspace, causing them to be more effective.

7. Employees will Likely Lose Over 86 Minutes of Their Working Hours Because of Distractions.

Distractions can come in different forms. Workers in all the different workplace layouts can face certain distractions like using phones, getting absent-minded, and a few others. However, research has shown that employees in open offices are more likely to get distracted. This can cause you to lose over 86 minutes of your work time, over an hour.

8. 95% of 10,000 Interviewed Employees Mentioned that They Prefer to Work in a Private Office, Although They Could Not All Do It.

An interview was carried out with about 10,000 workers, and 95% of them reported preferring working in private offices. However, not all 95% could stay true to their preferences. Only 41% of the 95% could remain in their private offices and finish their jobs. 31% of the 95% leave their offices occasionally to seek assistance from other employees in their firms. This shows that some people are more productive in open offices than ever admitted.

9. The Use of Office Messaging Software was Reduced by 75%, And the Use of Email in the Office was Reduced by 67% When Open Workplace Got Implemented.

Since open offices came into existence, emails in office spaces have decreased by 67%. This is because employees can just call out other employees to ask questions. Also, they can easily walk up to them and have any kind of conversation instead of using emails, which might make the conversation slow. More so, there has been a 75% reduction in other office messaging apps because of the open office implementation.

10. In Open Offices, Most Workers Spend 73% Less Time on Facial Conversations.

You would think employees would spend more time having face-to-face conversations in an open office than in private offices. But, the time they spend having facial discussions in an open office is drastically reduced by 73%. This means they have more facial conversations in private offices or from home. It is because employees hardly see themselves in private offices, so when they do, they take too much time to catch up with conversations. Also, when they finally meet their colleagues, people who work from home will take excessive time to engage in discussions. Nonetheless, people who work in open offices see themselves often and mostly have nothing to talk about except work interactions.

11. Employees in Open Workspaces Also Use Emails.

Even if people in open offices can have facial work conversations, they still use emails. They send soft copies of documents through emails. It is even easier to use email here because everyone recognizes other workers' networks.

12. 86% of 20 US Architecture Companies With 456 Employees Reported Working in an Open Workplace.

Out of the 20 architecture companies surveyed in the US, about 86.7% have an open workspace. Their 456 employees are more productive than ever because they share ideas and develop perfect architecture with joint effort.

13. 49% of UK Employees are Based in Open-Plan Offices.

The research was carried out on over 12,000 employees from 17 different countries, and the result showed that 49% of UK employees are based in open-plan offices. This rate is over double the global average, which is about 23%. This means the UK has the highest number of companies with open workspaces worldwide.

14. The Stress in Open Workspaces can Reduce Employees' Well-Being by 32%.

Aside from the 15% reduction in work productivity in open offices, another report says the well-being of workers can be reduced by 32%. Working in an open office can be stressful at times. The spaces are too tight sometimes, which gives workers a level of discomfort. This can cause workers to get unnecessarily stressed, resulting in system failures. Also, it can make them too weak to work for long hours.

15. One in Five Employees Believes They Cannot Effectively Finish an Office Task in an Open Office.

According to research, out of the five employees interviewed, one from each group thinks completing a task in an open office is challenging. The other four employees reported they could effectively complete an office task in an open workspace. This shows that more people are even more productive when working in an open-plan office. As much as people talk down on the advantages of working in an open workspace, they still enjoy the benefits.

Crucial Open Plan Office Stats

16. Most Percents of Employees Believe That Open-Plan Offices are Helpful.

Records have shown that some employees don't appreciate working in open offices, while a higher percentage do. 56% of workers say it is helpful because it allows them to interact with their colleagues for many reasons. 59% of employees say the atmosphere of an open office is enjoyable. Also, 55% of workers say open-plan workplaces help build team spirit and a sense of community. The lower percentage thinks the opposite is the case.

17. Out of 1000 Interviewed US Employees, Some Percentages Would Not Recommend Open-Plan Offices for Specific Reasons.

A survey was carried out in the US, and about 1,000 workers were interviewed. Some employees said they wouldn't recommend opening offices for other workers for different reasons. 23% of the 1,000 employees think sensitive data can leak in open offices. 43% said an open office has no privacy, so they won't recommend it. 29% complained of distractions and poor concentration. 21% said their reason is that they cannot work to their full potential in open offices. Then, 34% complained of loud personal conversations causing the noise.

18. Singapore, Luxembourg, and Ireland are the Leading Countries With the Highest Density of Open Offices.

There are about 50 major countries with a high density of open-plan offices in the world compared to their population. Luxembourg ranks the highest of all these countries, followed by Singapore and Ireland. These countries have stayed in this position for a couple of years already and might remain there in the coming years. Every year, for every 1 million people, Luxembourg has 8.5 new open offices. This rate gives them the lead in this industry.

19. Having Open Offices Allows the Company to Have More Funds for Other Dealings.

Starting a company with private offices costs more than starting one with open, unsealed offices. The cost is mainly 3 to 4 times higher, which means if you build an open office with $1000, you will spend about $4000 to create a private one. Here, you can use the extra $3000 to make other investments or tackle different needs your company has. Many companies operate with this strategy.

20. One Out of Every Eight Unsealed Office Employees Said the Environment Pushed Them to Hunt For New Jobs.

Based on research, one out of every eight interviewed employees of open offices confirmed that they have searched for new jobs. They mentioned that they were job-hunting, even if they still had jobs because of the workplace environment. They complain of being uncomfortable in the space. This statistic is not just about the fact that some people find working in an unsealed office unbearable. It is also about more people willing to keep their jobs in open workspaces. If one out of eight wants to leave, 7 want to stay.

21. 56% of Open-Office Employees Wear Earphones and Headphones to Avoid Distraction.

Many people are not used to noise, and they get distracted easily. For such people, noisy areas can make them less productive. They can get confused and stay on a particular task for hours without making any progress. If such people got to work in unsealed workplaces, they would go a whole day with very little work done. So, most of them use headphones to avoid distraction. Some of them play songs they love, and others just wear headphones without playing songs just to filter noise.

22. Some Employees Prefer Private Offices Because It Allows Them to Focus.

Your focus is vital for delivering tasks excellently in your line of work. If you cannot focus, you can't have as competently as you should. This is why some people prefer to work in private offices instead of open ones. It is not a myth that open offices can be distracting in many ways. Some people can handle it, but others cannot, so they go for what they can drive.

23. Over 70% of US Offices Have Some Sort of Open Workplace Design.

The regular type of office design with private offices is becoming extinct. Many companies don't use such methods any more. About 70% of companies in the US have some sort of open office design, even if some don't outright operate like open offices. Only a few percent of companies in the US still run with a private office policy. Other portions have employees that work from home, and the rest usually don't need office spaces.

24. Open Offices Can Lead to High Blood Pressure, Stress, And Employee Conflicts.

People are more likely to get on each other's nerves in an open office than in a private one. Employees in private offices hardly see themselves, so it is hard to have office conflict unless it has something to do with work delivery. However, this is not the case in open offices. Some employees will intentionally get on the nerves of others, and some will do it unintentionally. This only happens because they see themselves frequently and hear themselves, too. Some people might have ideas of life that don't resonate with yours, which can cause conflict in the office. This can be a leading cause of high blood pressure.

25. You Can Save Up to 20% On Heating or Cooling an Open Office.

Unlike private offices, it is cheaper to heat or cool open offices. From our analysis, you can save up to 20% on heating or cooling an open office instead of a private one. For an exposed office with 50 employees, you just need about 20 pieces of heating and cooling equipment. However, in a private-office company with about 50 employees, you need to get exactly 50 pieces of heating and cooling equipment to not elude any employee. However, these expenses can apply to other aspects of the company if the office is unsealed.

26. Some Open-Office Employees Maybe 66% Less Productive Because of Side Conversations.

A side conversation can distract anyone, whether they are partakers in it or it is happening beside them. It is a wrong work ethic, and combining it with work will surely decrease productivity. This is commonly found among exposed office employees. Sometimes it is a habit, and other times it is just out of boredom. But all the time, it isn't suitable for work. It can reduce workers' productivity by 66%, and being only 40% productive might cause the company some losses.

27. 31% of Employees Believe They will be Judged if They Work in an Open Office.

Many different people have separate complaints about working in exposed offices. A while back, a survey was carried out among about 4,000 employees in open offices. In the survey, about 16% of respondents disliked working in open offices because it affected their health. About 31% complained about being judged in the workspace by other colleagues. They said they could not do what worked because people were always watching. Then, 13% of these people said working in an open office was enough motivation to leave one job for another.

28. Open Offices can Contain More Employees Than Private Offices.

Have you ever gone to work on your first day and there was no space for you to stay? That would be a bad experience, and it can only happen to employees of companies with private offices. Most private office companies need more employees even when their existing workers have occupied all their office spaces. This will leave them spending money to create more office spaces for recruits. But, this is different with open offices, as they can contain many people. Office space for about 5 employees in a private-office company will have about 15 to 20 employees in an open-office company.

29. About 68% of Employees Complete Their Jobs in Conventional Offices.

As much as open offices are standard and widely accepted today, more people still finish working in private offices. There are a few probable reasons for this, which doesn't mean private offices are better than public ones or vice versa. One reason 68% of employees retired as remote workers is that the bustling and interaction in open offices are not for older citizens in their retirement years. Many of them worked in unsealed offices in their younger days and left for private offices for comfort.

30. Open Office Employees' Level of Activities is About 32% Higher Than Private Office Employees.

Private offices have little interaction or activity level compared to open offices. This is one thing that office employees enjoy more than people in other office layouts. Aside from private offices, office cubicles are different office layouts where open offices lead in activity level. Open offices are leading over private offices with 32%. This data was obtained from research carried out on 231 office workers.

31. Open Office Workers Working on Long Open Tables are 20% More Active Than Employees in Office Cubicles.

The research on workers in the US shows that exposed office workers are more active than other workers in other workplace layouts. The cubicle office layout is not any different. For some reason, unsealed office employees are 20% more active than cubicle office employees.

32. 66% of Employees in the UK Said Their Dissatisfaction is a Result of Working in Open Offices.

Many people have launched different complaints about open offices. In a survey in the UK, 66% of workers said they had faced dissatisfaction, and working in open offices is one of the causes. These people admitted that there are more reasons their productivity is low, and their dissatisfaction is on the high side. Nonetheless, they said working in an exposed office is the leading cause of this problem. Many people have different and probably better opinions of open workplaces, but not everyone can handle things the same way.

33. About 15% to 20% of US Companies Plan to Implement An Open-Plan Layout Completely.

Although more people in the US prefer closed offices to exposed ones, the country still patronizes open ones. A recent report shows that about 15% to 20% of US companies plan to operate with available office layouts. A few others have already started the implementation. Some of these companies operated completely private offices. Others already had fractions of open offices, even if private ones were leading.

Must Know Statistics

34. 77% of Employees Find Working in Companies With Open and Private Offices More Comfortable.

Out of 100% of employees, about 77% prefer to work in companies with mixed workplace layouts. They believe that the company should have private and open office layouts. They reported that this is better because they can experience the benefits of working in exposed and closed offices. Also, some people cannot work correctly if their superiors are always around them, but the mixed office allows the leaders to be in private offices. 23% out of the 100% prefer a company with just one workplace layout. They believe it has to be an open or private office layout, or else they won't be comfortable.

35. Open Offices Are Not Suitable for Introverted Employees.

16% to 50% of workers in the world are introverts. Some often have an inferiority complex; they don't function appropriately among many people. They prefer to be alone most of the time, and open offices don't give them the liberty to be alone. In an open office, at least 3 employees are in one space; an introvert can manage to work there. Some offices have over 50 employees; introverts will not thrive in such a workspace. Their productivity will thoroughly reduce, and sometimes they won't have any productivity left.

36. Generation X and Baby Boomer Counterparts Have Less Tendency to Deal With Distractions in Open Offices.

Younger workers have proven to have more resilience than older workers. So, they tend to deal with distractions in an open office more than senior workers. Research shows Generation Z has a 55% chance of succeeding in available office space. Following this rate are the oldest generation of millennials, who are active. Generation X, after Gen Z, has one of the lowest percentages, even if many people think otherwise; it has 47%. The group with the lowest distraction-handling rate in an open office is the Baby Boomers, with 38%.

37. Multitasking With the Tiniest Level of Distraction Can Cause Employees to Lose Focus For About 20 Minutes Daily.

The tiniest distraction in any office can make you lose precious working time. Also, multitasking is another tough nut to crack because you must think about two or more tasks simultaneously. Combining distraction and multitasking is a significant factor in unproductiveness. You will lose working time if you work on multiple tasks and entertain distractions. Research has shown that multitasking employees will lose over 20 minutes daily if they consider minor distractions. They might lose every working hour of the day if they entertain 20% of distractions with two or more tasks.

38. Some Employees Lose Concentration and Are 15% Less Effective in Open or Quiet Offices.

There is more distraction than noise or side conversations. For some people, walking by them is a distraction. Some others get distracted by any body movement that captures their attention. A few others get distracted by specific colors and dress styles, which can be distracting, too. So, even if the open office is quiet, it is not entirely rid of distraction factors. This can make an employee 15% less productive than they should be.

39. Aside From the Building Cost, Setting Up an Open Office is Much Less Expensive Than a Closed Facility.

Other things make starting an exposed office cheaper than starting a company with a private office. A major one is the set-up of the office. Buying furniture for an open office is cheaper. Instead of one big table in one private office, you can use it for about 2 to 3 employees, saving up to 20%.

40. Offices With an Adequate Flow of Communication Can Make 47% More Profits Than Others.

It is not a myth that communication makes everything flow better and more accessible. It promotes better understanding, eliminates misunderstandings, and has every downside. With effective communication in any workplace, 47% more productivity and profit are sure. Open offices have proven to have better communication flow than other office layouts. This means companies with open workplaces will make 47% more profit than their counterparts.

41. 1 Out of Every 8 Employees in Private Offices Feels Disconnected From Their Senior Staff.

Out of the eight different groups of employees that were interviewed, one employee from each group said they felt a disconnection between themselves and their senior staff. Most of the other 7 from each group don't care about the disconnection or have not noticed it. You must know that connections between bosses and junior workers are essential. It makes the juniors feel welcomed, and they will give their jobs the best attention.

42. 38% of Employees Say an Open Office Allows Them to Gain More Knowledge.

People who work in private offices mostly only work with what they know. They definitely grow in the job and get to understand their tasks better with time, but not as much or as fast as open office workers. The liberty of interaction in an open office can help increase workers' knowledge about the job and many other things. Employees meet their colleagues when they get stuck on a job, and they help them sort it out. This makes them grow in their knowledge of the job faster. Also, they can learn other things from their colleagues that do not relate to work.

43. At a 2.1% Rate, Asia-Pacific Offices Have the Highest Share of Office Stock.

Compared to other countries, North America and Europe are some of the leading countries with offices with the highest share of stock. However, Asia-Pacific has an even higher rate compared to the other two. It is at a rate of 2.1%, double the other two countries' rate.

44. Only 44.2% of People Working in Private Offices Say it Increases Their Productivity, Which is Lower Than Those Who Say Open Offices Increase Their Productivity.

Of the 100% of employees in companies with private offices, only 44.2% have said the layout has helped increase their productivity. This rate is reasonablebut poor compared to the open office rate. 71.4% of the 100% of people who work in companies with open offices say the layout has helped increase their productivity. Communication is a critical factor in work growth-also, the relation with other senior staff who can guide people through tasks.

45. 87% of Employees Pick Private Offices Over Open Offices, 8% Pick Open Offices, And 5% Choose Flex Offices.

The research was carried out on 1,000 people from a nearly civilized area. The study shows that 87% of the 1,000 people prefer closed offices. 8% would instead work in an exposed office, and 5% like the flex office.

46. There is a High Tendency For Employees' Health to Decline in Open Offices.

One out of every seven open-office employees complained that they had witnessed a general health decline. The primary cause of the problem is the office they work in. Also, some have little or no time to care for their health.

47. About 50% of Employees Are Concerned About Sound Privacy.

Some employees don't have a problem with sound privacy. They don't think it is a problem to talk about essential work details in the presence of other employees. They don't see a problem with others talking and doing the same. However, the other half considers this to be a significant concern. So, for this, they prefer a private office.

48. 30% of Employees Considered the Lack of Visual Privacy a Major Concern.

Visual privacy is when a person sees something and no other person sees it. Private offices can promote visual privacy for employees. This is something only a few types of open offices can usually offer.

49. Open Offices Increase the Level of Informal Interactions in the Workplace.

Unlike other office layouts, there is a higher tendency for more informal interaction in the open office system. This can be good to some extent and evil as well. Casual conversation in the workplace is good because it can help employees get familiar with themselves. But, if it gets too much, it will become a problem. This is because excessive informal interactions in the office cause distraction.

50. In North America, The Square Footage of Standard Open Office Space is About 150 to 175 sq. ft.

North America is one of the major countries that favor open office layouts. A standard open office in North America is about 150 to 175 square feet. This size is even more significant than the size of most tech companies. These tech companies have 125 to 175 square feet.

Conclusion

Open offices have been a strong competitor to private offices since their inception. Many companies in different countries worldwide have accepted the innovation, and many more will do so in the time to come. Employees have various open offices, regardless of their advantages. Some people don't like it for credible reasons, but others do. Companies see more open office benefits than employees, ranging from lesser financial implications to productivity. Some companies say they have even seen more profits since transitioning to the open office system.

FAQsAre open offices a good idea?

Open offices promote good relationships between employees. It helps them communicate better and deliver on their daily tasks.

How many people work in an open-plan office?

The average number of workers you should expect to see in an open office is 15 to 25. However, some offices have more than this number, and some have less.

What is the opposite of an open office?

The opposite of an open office is a closed one, also known as a private one. It is an office that accommodates just one worker, with a door to separate him from other employees.

Sources

• What Science Says About Open Offices - and 6 Things You Can Do About It
• 6 Effects of Poor Workplace Communication in Business
• The Hard Reality of Open Workspaces for Introverts
• Is the Open Plan Office Dead?
• Open Plan office concept: How to make it more productive?
• Fine-Tuning the Open Plan Office
• Open Plan coworking spaces is it the most productive solution for your business?
• Distractions and the Open Plan Office Environment
• Loud Open Plan Office Break Productivity. Here's Why
• How Do Open Offices Affect Employee Health?
• An Argument For and Against Open Office Layouts
• THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN-PLAN OFFICE LAYOUTS
• ASIA PACIFIC FLEXIBLE OFFICE MARKET SIZE & SHARE ANALYSIS - GROWTH TRENDS & FORECASTS (2023 - 2028)