Skyscrapers soar up from Congress Street in Boston's Financial District. File photo

Daily occupancy at downtown Boston office buildings increased to approximately 11 percent at the end of March as companies resumed a modicum of normalcy amid the vaccine rollout.

Businesses continue to give back space, but at a slower pace than during 2020, CBRE’s first-quarter Marketview report states. The 72,000 square feet of negative absorption recorded during the quarter was the least in the past year, and the availability and vacancy rates in the central business district declined slightly to 18.5 and 11.9 percent respectively.

“The question facing many companies now surrounds the flexibility of work schedules moving forward and how that will impact their real estate needs,” the report said.

Asking rents declined $1.27 per square foot to $66.96 and are expected to drop by 6 percent to 8 percent by year’s end, CBRE stated.

CBRE is tracking 3.1 million square feet of tenant requirements, of which 30 percent are temporarily paused.

“The number of requirements ‘on hold’ increased by 4 percentage points quarter-over-quarter, a sign that companies who are not lease expiration-driven are still evaluating their future needs,” the report said.