The Emerald City is a hub for both well-known tech companies and new startups, with no trouble attracting the necessary talent to these ventures. In fact, a recent study revealed that more graduates in technical fields are moving to Seattle than to any other major city.
The study looked at migration patterns from February 2022 to February 2023, and found that Seattle had the highest percentage of in-migration for tech workers with three years or less of experience. At 15.2%, Seattle led the country, followed by Austin at 9.7% and San Francisco, at 9.1%.
Seattle was also the second most popular city for inbound tech workers across all experience levels, with Austin attracting the most tech workers at all career levels.
This study also helped to dispel some of the persistent pandemic-era myths about major metros losing tech workers to more affordable suburbs and exurbs. While cities including San Francisco and Chicago did see a minor outflow of tech workers, other large cities like Austin and Nashville saw an influx of tech migration.
From 2021 to 2022, and from 2022 to 2023, Seattle has seen net positive growth in tech worker migration, meaning more tech workers are coming into the city than leaving it. Overall, Seattle is ranked second for tech talent in North America, only behind the Bay Area.
Part of this is due to the city’s robust mix of established companies like Microsoft and Amazon, as well as the healthy environment for startups. With this diverse mix, tech employees are in high demand in the city, even with recent layoffs accounted for.
An additional report from the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) found that tech is still a core part of the state’s economy, making up around 22% of its employment base — higher than any other state. The WTIA report also stated that the state’s “information and communication technology sector added 89,000 jobs from 2019 and 2022, a 33% increase.”
With a myriad of possible employers to choose from, plus steady growth in the local tech sector, it’s no wonder Seattle is a highly desirable place to begin a career.
Information for this article was sourced from GeekWire.