Seattle feels ripples of Amazon return
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The Space Needle is visible behind the Amazon headquarters in Seattle, where workers have returned to the office five days a week. Photo: Mike Kane/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ten days after Amazon's workers returned to their desks full time, South Lake Union is shaking off the cobwebs of remote work life, though it's more of a stir than a bustle.
Why it matters: Amazon's return-to-office policy is a litmus test for whether in-person work can revive urban life downtown, which has been slower to rebound from the pandemic's economic blow than many other city centers.
Driving the news: Approximately 50,000 Amazon employees returned to offices in Seattle five days a week on Jan. 2.
What's happening: Even without hard numbers, coffee shops, restaurants and food trucks in South Lake Union and Denny Regrade report noticeable boosts in business, with full tables and lines Monday through Friday, something not seen in years, Downtown Seattle Association president Jon Scholes told Axios.
- "We have already noticed an increase in foot traffic and sales, with more customers visiting us for lunch," Tutta Bella pizza CEO Joe Fugere told Axios. "There is a sense of excitement and renewed energy, and we're so excited to see what the rest of 2025 holds."
By the numbers: The return of tens of thousands of employees has led to a 15% to 20% rise in commute times to Seattle and heavier congestion and frequent bottlenecks during rush hours throughout the region, per Kirkland transportation data company INRIX.
- Seattle's bike, scooter and glider ridership has surged, with this month's trips up 138% citywide and 146% in South Lake Union compared with the same period in 2024, a Lime spokesperson told Axios in an email.
What they're saying: City Council President Sara Nelson told Axios that Amazon's in-office mandate is "great for downtown recovery and sets a positive example for other businesses."
- "Small businesses, which suffered during the pandemic, see this as a lifeline," she said.
- Mayor Bruce Harrell said in an email he hopes the return of Amazon workers, as well as Apple's recent leasing of more office space in Seattle, "inspires more companies to follow suit and take advantage of what our downtown has to offer."
The other side: Many Amazon employees were not happy when the company ordered them to return to the office three days a week in 2023 and are even more dissatisfied with the new order, one worker, who declined to give his name due to the company's strict rules on talking to the media, told Axios this week.
- "It's a little bit nice to say hi to people, but I'm an introvert and get more done at home," the employee said. "Plus, I'm commuting four hours a day now."
- In October, over 500 employees in the cloud-computing division sent a letter to Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman, urging reconsideration of the five-day mandate.
Yes, but: Other employees said they were glad to be back and chatting with each other in person.
What's next: The Downtown Seattle Association said it expects Amazon-specific foot traffic data next week.