More than two years after the Biden administration called on all federal agencies to create plans to bring employees who teleworked during the COVID pandemic back to the office, the vast majority of Washington, D.C.’s federal buildings are still sprawling expanses of empty, echoing hallways and offices.

In fact, 17 of 24 federal agencies use an estimated 25% or less of their headquarters’ office capacity, according to an updated survey by the General Accounting Office, a government agency that provides auditing and investigative services for Congress.

The survey showed that all federal buildings except the Treasury were operating at or below 31% office occupancy, with some far below that level, during the period surveyed.

[It’s not the kind of good news that conservatives will cheer. The federal government’s employment rolls have not been slashed by 70%; instead, bureaucrats still work from home. And the building costs remain the same and on the books regardless of whether that space is being used or not. — Ed]