The failure of Scots to return to offices after working from home will lead to “hollowed out high streets” as cities struggle to rebound from the lockdowns, business leaders have warned.

Official data shows there were 544,000 more people working from home in the first three months of this year than in the final quarter of 2019.

The Office for National Statistics said there were 267,000 home workers in the period from October to December 2019 and that total had grown to 811,000 at the start of 2022. The increase of 204 per cent compares with a UK average rise of 109 per cent.

Scotland had one of the sharpest decreases in the numbers of regional commuters and non-homeworkers with a reduction of 21.2 per cent.

Charandeep Singh, the deputy chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Many employers are deploying flexible working options as a tool to recruit and retain talent whilst other sectors are struggling with the lack of footfall.

“The publication of the Scottish Government’s City Centre Recovery Task Force report recognises that businesses reliant on footfall cannot survive prolonged periods without it.

“It’s critical all components to revive city centre economies are addressed including restoring office worker footfall and the normalisation of in-person meetings/events.”