Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) are leading a return-to-office wave while turning to coworking spaces to manage office shortages and workforce uncertainty.
Amazon Expands WeWork Offices To Meet RTO Demand
Amazon mandated nearly 350,000 corporate employees to return full-time in early 2025, but a chaotic rollout left workers without enough desks or parking, reported Fortune.
In response, the company leased 259,000 square feet at 1440 Broadway in Manhattan through WeWork, adding to its existing 300,000 square feet in the building.
WeWork also manages two other Amazon offices totaling 702,000 square feet in Manhattan.
Fortune 500 Firms Embrace Coworking For Flexibility
San Francisco–based Anthropic, JPMorgan, Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT), and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) are similarly using coworking spaces to give employees access to offices without long-term leases.
"Why make that long-term commitment, especially today, when you're not sure of how many people are coming back?" WeWork CEO John Santora told Fortune.
"We'll get you in 30, 60, 90 days, and you have the ability to walk away at certain points."
Industrious CEO Jamie Hodari noted that coworking allows companies to provide high-quality offices in multiple cities.
"Lots of business leaders … are focused on saying, ‘I need great offices in all 20 cities [where] I operate in the U.S., not just the top two,'" he said.
Amazon Layoffs Spotlight AI's Role In Job Cuts
Earlier, Amazon accidentally emailed its cloud division about upcoming layoffs, part of ongoing efforts to streamline operations.
The message, referencing "organizational changes" and "Project Dawn," followed 14,000 corporate cuts in October, with more planned in 2026.
CEO Andy Jassy framed the reductions as a cultural shift, though AI quietly influenced workforce downsizing.
Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management said executives struggled to discuss AI's impact openly, while Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that unemployment could rise as AI reshapes corporate teams.
Investor Robert Kiyosaki argued the layoffs showed that traditional schooling no longer guaranteed job security, urging people to boost financial literacy and invest in assets like gold, silver, and cryptocurrency.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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