After locating “Amazon HQ2” as a second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Amazon struck a $750 million tax break with state and local officials in exchange for generating jobs in the region, but instead of seeing growth, the Arlington location lost 200 positions in 2023. 

Loss in job growth comes as the company promised to generate 25,000 jobs by the end of the decade, including 2,500 in 2023. Last year’s loss in job growth also coincides with the company pausing in construction of three office buildings and the Helix, which has been delayed for more than a year.  However, Holly Sullivan, the company’s vice president of worldwide economic development, said there are 1,000 open positions at HQ2 between the two office towers that opened last year. Those offices were part of a $2 billion investment.