On August 2, 2023, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin was quoted by the Washington Business Journal:
That lines up with findings the D.C. Policy Center put out this year that remote work is hollowing out D.C.’s urban center as jobs shift to the cheaper Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Workers are holding on to schedules where they work in-office only part of the week, saving them thousands of dollars in commuting and other costs. And economic development wins, such as those promised by Amazon.com Inc. in Arlington, are losing some of their punch as fewer workers and companies move to be near them, said Yesim Sayin, executive director of the center.
“It will take a while for the chips to fall, but what we are experiencing right now is truly the long-term implications of work-from-home,” Sayin said. “It will be important for the jurisdictions in the center — D.C., Fairfax, Arlington, Montgomery County — to offer value for companies and individuals. In the past you got away with a high cost-of-living when you had great jobs, but when they can work from anywhere, the value we offer the residents is really important.”