According to analysis by Inrix, a Kirkland, Wash.-based transportation software and data provider, Amazon’s May 2023 directive — and other back-to-office mandates that followed — had a significant effect on slowing down traffic on major commute routes.

Amazon's mandate that its workers return to the office five days a week is giving nearby Seattle retailers something to cheer about — though thousands of Amazon employees losing their hybrid work schedules may not feel the same way.

SEATTLE — Amazon employees will return to the office five days a week starting Jan. 2, 2025, according to a memo from CEO Andy Jassy. Workers have been working in person three days a week since May 1, 2023, and Jassy said the move has "strengthened our conviction about the benefits."

In some ways, Amazon was a first-mover in regard to its three-day mandate last year. Companies often follow each other when it comes to organizational decisions like return-to-office, said Viviane Lopuch, a professor at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics.

Amazon notified employees about the policy change on Monday, though it isn't set to take effect until early next year.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has mandated that its employees return to the office five days per week beginning in 2025 ・The company’s previous three-day requirement was met with a protest staged by employees across the world in May 2023 ・Amazon is the ecommerce and technology giant behind Prime,