WeWork
HR&A conducted the first comprehensive economic and fiscal impact analysis of WeWork communities for the company, quantifying benefits across New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Our analysis demonstrated that WeWork would rank among the largest private-sector employers in these cities, supporting 50,000 jobs with each member creating one additional job elsewhere in their respective city, representing nearly one percent of each city’s workforce and establishing WeWork’s crucial role in growing innovation economies and entrepreneurial communities.
WeWork required quantitative analysis to demonstrate the economic value its coworking communities generate across urban markets, supporting policy outreach and stakeholder engagement during its expansion. HR&A developed comprehensive economic impact modeling that analyzed neighborhood-level trends while creating illustrative member profiles to showcase WeWork’s support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Our methodology captured the broader economic ripple effects of coworking communities, providing WeWork with data-driven evidence of its role in urban development and the evolving workplace landscape across major metropolitan areas.
Our analysis revealed WeWork’s substantial impact on urban job creation and economic development, with findings showing that the company’s expansion creates significant multiplier effects beyond direct employment. The detailed economic framework we developed enabled WeWork to articulate its value proposition to city leaders and policymakers while providing projections for how expansion could impact other US cities. The success of our initial study led to WeWork’s Global Impact Report 2019, which expanded the analysis worldwide using our methodological framework. These findings continue supporting WeWork’s Future of Work initiative and policy outreach efforts.
