Amazon's Virginia HQ2 Added No Jobs in 2025, Vindicating Ocasio-Cortez

New data shows Amazon's highly-incentivized Arlington expansion fell short of initial hiring projections.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 6:33pm

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An abstract, fractured painting of geometric shapes in shades of blue, green, and grey, conceptually representing the challenges and complexities of corporate development deals.The lack of new jobs created at Amazon's highly-incentivized Virginia headquarters raises doubts about the true economic benefits of such corporate development deals.Arlington Today

Despite receiving hundreds of millions in tax incentives to build its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Amazon reported no new jobs created at the HQ2 site in 2025, according to a filing with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. This outcome vindicates the skepticism expressed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who had opposed the project's construction in New York due to concerns over corporate welfare and worker exploitation.

Why it matters

Ocasio-Cortez's opposition to the HQ2 project in New York was widely criticized at the time, but this latest data suggests her concerns about the project's true economic benefits were warranted. The lack of new jobs created in Virginia raises questions about the efficacy of using large tax incentive packages to lure in tech giants, and whether the public is getting a good return on those investments.

The details

Amazon's filing showed the company did not add any new jobs at its Arlington HQ2 site in 2025, despite initially projecting it would create 10,000 jobs by 2024. The company currently has around 8,500 employees at the Virginia location. This hiring slowdown comes after Amazon canceled plans to build HQ2 in New York in 2019 following opposition from Ocasio-Cortez and local activists.

  • In 2018, Ocasio-Cortez joined local activists to oppose the construction of HQ2 in New York City.
  • Amazon canceled its plans to build HQ2 in New York in February 2019.
  • In 2023, Amazon delayed construction of its HQ2 facility in Virginia.
  • In 2025, Amazon reported no new jobs created at the Arlington HQ2 site.

The players

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A Democratic U.S. Representative who opposed the construction of Amazon's HQ2 in New York City, citing concerns over corporate welfare and worker exploitation.

Amazon

An American multinational technology company that operates an e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence business.

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What they’re saying

“Anything is possible. Today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers and their neighbors defeated Amazon's corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world.”

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“When I opposed this Amazon project coming to New York because it was a scam of public funds, the whole power establishment came after us. Billboards went up in Times Square denouncing me. Powerful pols promised revenge. Op-eds and CEOs insulted my intelligence. In the end, we were right.”

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

What’s next

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership will likely reevaluate the state's incentive package for Amazon's HQ2 project in light of the lack of new jobs created in 2025.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing debate over the efficacy of using large tax incentive packages to attract major tech companies, and whether the public is truly benefiting from these deals. Ocasio-Cortez's skepticism of the HQ2 project has been vindicated, raising questions about how states and cities should approach economic development in the future.