San Luis Obispo County has been creating a higher percentage of tech jobs for young workers than most metros areas in the nation.
A recent analysis looking at job growth nationwide found that the San Luis Obispo metro area saw 39 percent growth, the second highest, in mathematics and computer jobs for millennials (ages 25-34) over the seven years studied.
The study, performed by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), also found that San Luis Obispo County had an 8.9 percent annual job growth in all occupations, sixth highest in the nation, from 2007 to 2013.
“This objective data underscores the strength of our region’s technology industry and the opportunities here for a younger workforce to thrive,” said San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Ermina Karim. “While in the past many outside of the area have assumed that our region was only ideal for retirees, this analysis demonstrates the growing opportunities for those building their careers in San Luis Obispo.”
Nationally, jobs for young workers in the computer and mathematics sectors increased just 2 percent, with tech hubs such as Austin (9 percent) San Francisco (12 percent) and Seattle (13 percent) seeing healthy growth in this key sector of science, technology, engineering and math jobs.
“There are more opportunities for talented people in San Luis Obispo than ever before,” said iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. “From talented startups emerging from Cal Poly and tech incubators to established industry leaders like Rosetta and iFixit, there’s a lot of energy here right now. The amount of design and software talent in town is impressive and growing every year.”
San Luis Obispo County, while not a complete anomaly, was an exception as many areas saw stagnant job numbers for millennials.
Other areas that San Luis Obispo County ranked high in include: a second ranking with 17.3 percent average growth for millennials in production occupations, a third ranking with 12.4 percent average growth for millennials in transportation and material moving occupations, a fourth ranking with 7.1 percent average growth for millennials in office and administrative support occupations , a fifth ranking with 13.8 percent average growth for millennials in sales and related occupations, a sixth ranking with 29.5 percent share of millennials in transportation and material moving occupations.
The study looked at nearly 370 metro areas nationwide and used EMSI’s extensive labor market database from more than 90 state and national employment resources, including self-employed workers.
Read about the study here.