After reading a rather insightful article on GeekWire, I was reminded of a few statistics that I came across some years ago in relation to what’s known widely as the Emerald City… the place recognizably noted around the world for its AIRPLANES, COFFEE, SOFTWARE AND BOOKS.
Some have even dubbed Seattle the ‘capital of the 21st century’ due to all of the industries that have generated mass amounts of wealth for those in and around the region. As well, many people fail to realize that what resulted in the dot.com boom was ignited here in the Pacific Northwest and therefor set a trail that blazed the path for many liked minded entrepreneurs of my generation.
This ultimately generated a wealth base resulting in Seattle being labeled as the richest city even before the bubble burst on that particular industry.
The city of Seattle and its residents have built quite a reputable reputation for themselves in it’s 146 years of incorporation. So much so that, “(CNNMoney.com) — If you equate education with intelligence, then the smartest city in the United States is Seattle – 52.7 percent of its residents age 25 or older have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher. The education rankings were released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Seattle’s also been ranked as the most literate city in the United States by Central Connecticut State University, beating out Minneapolis, Washington and Atlanta. That rating was based on such things as the number of booksellers, libraries and newspaper circulation – as well as educational attainment. Many brainy people have flocked to the Seattle area to work in what’s called the “knowledge economy.”
Companies headquartered there and in surrounding towns, including Microsoft, Amazon, Cray, Washington Mutual and Costco, all use heavy doses of information technology. Even another of the area’s biggest employers, old-line Boeing, is also a glutton for technological solutions.
Seattle also has more than its share of residents with advanced degrees: 20.5 percent. Only Washington, D.C., has more holders of advanced degrees. Many there work for the federal government, as well as for the think tanks and other nongovernmental organizations that form the heart of capital’s working culture.”
Now that you know, perhaps you’ll consider this modern day metropolis when planning your next career move.
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I hope no one comes here to looking for a job at Washington Mutual, since it collapsed in 2008 and sent the Seattle economy into a tailspin. We haven’t fully recovered.
You’re right about that! However, in my humble opinion they were simply rebranded…”The collapse of the Seattle thrift, which was triggered by a wave of deposit withdrawals, marks a new low point in the country’s financial crisis. But the deal, as constructed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., could hold some glimmers of hope for the beleaguered banking system because it averts any hit to the bank-insurance fund. Instead, J.P. Morgan agreed to pay $1.9 billion to the government for WaMu’s banking operations and will assume the loan portfolio of the thrift, which has $307 billion in assets. The full cost to J.P. Morgan will be much higher, because it plans to write down about $31 billion of the bad loans and raise $8 billion in new capital. All WaMu depositors will have access to their cash, but holders of more than $30 billion in debt and preferred stock will likely see little if any recovery.” –(The Wall Street Journal)
Lastly, I failed to mention the other industries that have put Seattle and therefor Washington State on the global economic sphere…Timber (Weyerhaeuser) & Apples (Granny Smith’s to be exact).
And the University of Washington, the Port of Seattle, Safeco Insurance, city and county governments, etc., these all are big employers in the Seattle area.
Yes, those are exemplary employers…I can testify, given that I’ve been employed by several of those that you’ve listed. Thanks for your contribution, it’s truly appreciated! 😀