Seattle's home office era fades
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Just over 1 in 5 workers in the Seattle metro were still clocking in from home as of 2023, per the latest census data, down from nearly 50% three years ago.
Why it matters: The debate over remote and hybrid work is reshaping downtowns, office parks, suburbs, and the businesses and services that depend on them even as it continues to evolve.
By the numbers: 20.3% of the Seattle metro area's 2.1 million workers aged 16 and over were working from home in 2023, per Census Bureau data.
- That's the 10th highest percentage nationally after Boulder (28%), Denver (22%) and Portland (21%), among others.
Flashback: The share of workers in Seattle who said they primarily worked from home in 2021 — 46.8% — was almost triple the national average of 17.9%.
The big picture: The trend over the last few months has been a slow but steady return to the land of cubicles, watercooler chitchat, and harsh fluorescent light.
- The return-to-office push is a sign that employers are gaining more leverage over workers, Axios' Emily Peck writes.
- Amazon workers have been told to return to the office five days a week starting Jan. 2. City and county employees are also facing new return policies in the new year.
What's next: The incoming Trump administration is likely to push the country's federal workforce back into the office — largely as a way to trim headcount.