Northwestern Mutual plans to bring 2K employees back to Milwaukee

Remote work may not be losing its popularity, but Northwestern Mutual is planning to bring a major portion of its workforce back to downtown Milwaukee over the next three to five years, according to a report from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Northwestern Mutual plans to move nearly 2,000 employees back in person to a redesigned 540,000-square-foot office tower that will be located adjacent to and mirror the design of the 32-story Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, which opened in 2017.

Milwaukee has actually seen an increase in companies creating new offices in the downtown area, or increasing their footprint there, and that’s bringing more workers back and driving economic growth for the city.

In 10 of the largest U.S. cities, the average office occupancy rate was at 50% at the end of January, according to a report from Kastle Systems. In Milwaukee, that number is closer to 60%, according to a September survey of downtown employers.