Survey reveals Newcastle is the easiest place to make friends at work in the UK

While making friends in the office isn’t required, studies have shown that having office friendships can be beneficial for your health and well-being.

But are we good at making friends? Are businesses doing enough to help support workplace friendships?

Manchester-based flexible workspace & co-working operator Colony surveyed 2,000 UK office workers to gauge how they feel about office friendships.

North East is the top region for making friends at work

The North East is the region where workers seem to find it easiest to make friends (54.8%)

In contrast, the North West appears to face the most social challenges, with 35.8% of respondents from this region also saying they find making friends in the workplace difficult.

Top 5 easiest regions in the UK to make friends at work

1. North East - 54.8%2. East Midlands - 50.4%3. West Midlands - 44.8%4. East of England - 44.7%5. Yorkshire and The Humber - 44.7%

Top 5 most difficult regions in the UK to make friends at work

1. Scotland - 36.2% 2. Northern Ireland - 36%3. North West - 35.8%4. South East - 35.4%5. Greater London - 33.8%

Newcastle revealed as the UK’s easiest city to make friends at work

When it comes to cities, Newcastle leads the pack, with 56% claiming they find it easy to make friends at work.

However, not all cities are finding it quite so easy. Brighton is the city where people find it hardest to make friends at work, with 41% claiming they find it difficult.

Top 5 easiest cities in the UK to make friends at work

1. Newcastle - 56%2. Norwich - 49%3. Nottingham - 48%4. Southampton - 47%5. Birmingham - 46%

Top 5 most difficult cities in the UK to make friends at work

1. Brighton - 41% 2. Bristol - 39%3. Edinburgh - 38%4. Manchester - 37%5. Belfast - 36%

Which companies are doing enough to support office relationships?

Belfast is the city where office workers feel their employers are doing enough to foster work friendships (52%), while 30% believe they aren’t.

In contrast, workers in Edinburgh feel their workplace isn't doing enough to help them build strong connections (31.8%)

Top 5 cities where employers are seen to be supporting office friendships

1. Belfast - 52%

2. Norwich - 50.9%

3. Southampton - 50.6%

4. Sheffield - 47.9%

5. Newcastle - 45.4%

Top 5 cities where employers are seen to not be supporting office friendships

1. Edinburgh - 31.8%2. Glasgow - 30.8%3. Belfast - 30%4. Manchester - 29.7%5. Brighton - 27.9%

Reflecting on the results, Jamie Halliday, Head of Marketing at Colony, a co-working space provider based in Manchester, says:

“Office friendships are a lot more important than many people think. For companies, investing in a culture that helps build these relationships isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a way to make sure employees can succeed, both personally and professionally.”