Our Final Mileage Trends Flash Report (April 8, 2021): Business Driving Activity 75% Higher Than the Week of April 5, 2020

We’ve now passed the one-year anniversary of nation-wide shutdowns due to COVID-19. With that, this week also marks the anniversary of the week of April 5, 2020 – the lowest level of business mileage over the last 12 months.

As we look back at last year, it’s amazing to see the changes that occurred since we released our first Mileage Trends Flash Report in May of 2020. Today, we’re excited to share our latest – and final – flash trend report, which found that field activity is currently 75% higher than it was the week of April 5, 2020.

Field activity can serve as a strong indicator of economic health. We’re now trending in the right direction, with the average business mileage during WorkForward rising to 70% of pre-pandemic levels.

To the many business leaders who followed these regular reports to monitor field activity, we hope they have been helpful in decision-making over the past year, and that this final report serves as an indicator of where we’re headed – onward and upward.

Here’s a closer look at other notable findings from the report:

• Regionally, business mileage has increased across the country. The South and Western U.S. are experiencing the highest level of activity, both trending at about 72% of pre-pandemic levels. The Midwest is experiencing 70% growth in activity and business mileage in the Northeast has grown to 64% of pre-pandemic levels.
• While activity levels vary from region to region, there is an even wider variety among industry sectors and their many subsectors. After seeing similar trajectories across most industries in March and April of 2020, different businesses are recovering at different speeds. Activity trends also differ depending on where and how companies operate.
• Here’s a closer look at the recovery of various sectors:
  • Business Services (102%, +27% above the WorkForward average)
  • Food & Beverage (86% of pre-pandemic levels, a +46% increase over the lowest point the week of April 5^th)
  • Construction & Building Materials (80% of pre-pandemic levels, -5% below the average)
  • Machinery (70% of pre-pandemic levels, +1% above the average)
  • Pharmaceutical/Biotech & Medical Devices (69% of pre-pandemic levels, +3% above the average)
  • Hospitals & Healthcare (64% of pre-pandemic levels, -15% below the average)
  • Retail (61% of pre-pandemic levels, +1% above the average)
  • Automotive (52% of pre-pandemic levels, +11% above the average)
  • Energy & Environmental (52% of pre-pandemic levels, +8% above the average)
  • Manufacturing (49% of pre-pandemic levels, +3% above the average)

Signs of pent-up demand are showing up on the leading edges of reopening states. As vaccinations increase among the population, we should expect to see a rapid recovery in business mileage across a broader range of economic sectors.

Business leaders can stay abreast of these trends and analyze their indicators to determine the best course of action. This may be our final flash trend report, but companies they can still rely on Motus as a resource for updates on activity trends in their areas and industries as they WorkForward.

Again, thank you to everyone who followed the Mileage Trends Flash Reports. For those who would like further guidance about what this data means for you, we’re here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!