Amazon's return-to-office mandate could boost downtown Seattle's recovery

(The Center Square) – Amazon workers will be required to return to their offices five days a week starting at the beginning of next year, a decision that could boost the downtown Seattle area's ongoing post-pandemic recovery.

In a message posted on the company website , Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said that the company is requiring workers to return to their offices five days a week to be better set up “to incent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.”

Jassy added that Amazon executive staff have observed that it’s easier for workers to collaborate and brainstorm when interacting with each other in person.

“We understand that some of our teammates may have set up their personal lives in such a way that returning to the office consistently five days per week will require some adjustments,” Jassy wrote in Monday's message.

The decision to have workers return to the office full-time is seen as a key step in the recovery of downtown Seattle. Amazon is the area’s largest employer.

Downtown Seattle Association Director of Media Relation James Sido told The Center Square he has seen estimates of 55,000 Amazon workers based in the Emerald City's downtown area.

“Downtown’s largest employer bringing people back more frequently is a home run for downtown,” Downtown Seattle Association CEO Jon Scholes said in a news release. “Amazon’s decision reinforces the value of in-person work to the success of companies and organizations.”

According to the association’s data , approximately 90,700 workers reported to their offices in the downtown area last July. That is the second-highest rate of return since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread.

The 90,700 workers represents a 14% increase from July 2023.

However, the July average is only 62% of the daily worker foot traffic that was reported in 2019, meaning the downtown core has still not fully recovered from the pandemic.

Despite a lot of positive reactions to the return of Amazon employees to their downtown Seattle offices, some workers panned the announcement. One Amazon employee even posted on LinkedIn , calling the return to the office “live-action role playing and virtue signaling.”

Pre-pandemic working conditions go into effect on Jan. 2, 2025.