Empty Office Space

U.S. businesses have been hit hard by the global recession —- workers laid off, hours cut back. But what happens to all those empty offices?

Some companies have decided they don’t want these “ghosts of prosperity past” serving as reminders of the hardships they now face. So they’re offering the space for free.

In an effort to keep the business buzzing, a number of firms in Boston and beyond have opened their doors to outside professionals from the same industry -- many of whom lost their jobs at other companies.

These acts of charity help to assuage guilt over the last round of layoffs by giving a leg up to aspiring entrepreneurs. A sign in one of the newly filled offices sums it up: “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”

The Boston Globe: Free office space. Just bring energy.

(Photo by Phil Gyford via Flickr/Creative Commons)