FIFA World Cup Costs US Workplaces $11.7 Billion

WASHINGTON, DC-The FIFA World Cup disrupted US workplaces and may have shaved as much as $11.7 billion off the country’s productivity as millions of workers adjusted their schedules to watch matches, according to a report.

NDTV Profit reported, citing workforce management company UKG, that the tournament’s global productivity impact was nearly $17 billion due to higher absenteeism, late arrivals and early departures during the competition.

Data from workplace platform Envoy showed the biggest workplace disruption came the day after the United States men’s team was eliminated from the tournament. Office attendance dropped 26 per cent on July 7, while employee entries fell 11.5 per cent.

The attendance decline was nearly 10 times larger than the post-Super Bowl dip the company recorded earlier this year.

Visitor traffic, including client meetings, interviews and vendor appointments, fell 32 per cent, suggesting many companies postponed meetings rather than closing offices outright.

Once the United States was eliminated, workplace attendance gradually returned closer to normal.

With the World Cup final approaching, analysts expect the impact on US workplaces the following day to be significantly lower because the United States is no longer in the tournament. (IANS)