On Monday of this week, Amazon workers returned to the office in downtown Seattle, marking the first official day back in the office after three years of working remotely. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the move to in-person work in February, stating the company can’t operate at its full potential without workers returning to the office. Employees must be at work in person at least three days a week.
Businesses in downtown Seattle are excited about the increase in foot traffic, and the Downtown Seattle Association expects most workers to come into the city on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Downtown Seattle Association says more people mean more opportunities for businesses, and the city has been seeing a steady increase in worker traffic this year.
In related news, Amazon is planning to transfer a total of 2,000 employees from their Seattle offices to two new downtown Bellevue towers by the end of 2023, according to a recent article in the Puget Sound Business Journal. This move is expected to boost Amazon’s headcount in Bellevue to over 12,000 once the towers are up and running.
Amazon currently employs more than 55,000 people in Seattle, while Bellevue’s workforce already surpassed 10,000 last year.
