Half of Basildon’s workforce are now back in their offices, according to new data.

Recorded phone data has revealed the changing face of post lockdown working, with 49 per cent of the town’s population back in their workplaces.

This puts Basildon at the top of the UK leaderboard for staff commuting to work, beating London, Manchester, and Cambridge by a significant margin.

The data, recorded by the Centre for Cities think tank, also reveals a positive result for Southend, with 30 per cent of the seafront town back in their office.

Bosses have suggested the reason behind the data is the high number of huge businesses south Essex boasts, including the Amazon warehouse in Basildon, Southend Airport, and many industrial estates.

This comes as Boris Johnson encouraged workers to “get back to the office” last week.

Leonardo’s, an engineering firm in Basildon, say they currently have 30 per cent of their workforce back at their site, on Christopher Martin Road. A spokesman said: “All employees who are enabled to work from home will do so until further notice. Employees who are currently working on critical programmes are still being asked to attend the workplace, while maintaining social distancing measures at all times.

“As we are placing an emphasis on smart working practices including remote working, so we can maintain productivity while also observing social distancing to protect the health and safety of employees.”

Gavin Callaghan, the leader of Basildon Council, has said the data is positive, but businesses must ensure they re-open safely.

He said: “Basildon has a great manufacturing economy.

“We’re going to ensure Basildon stays the beating heart of the Essex economy.

“The economy needs to come out of covid strong. It’s good news, but this needs to be managed.”

Ian Gilbert, leader of Southend Council, suggested a balance is needed between working from home and commuting, adding: “If people are finding it reasonable to work from home, I would still encourage them to do that.

“It’s good to see people want to get back to work, but we don’t want employers to feel pressured to bring people back.”