Tech worker dominance in Silicon Valley a myth

Many activists claim that an “invasion” of highly-paid high tech workers are destroying the housing market in San Jose and surrounding cities and callously displacing longtime residents. The data shows that this is a falsehood. According to the San Jose Business Journal, tech workers aren’t even the biggest category of workers in the area. That’s the community infrastructure and services sector (healthcare, retail, and construction) which accounts for nearly half (49%) of the area’s workers. That’s almost double the tech worker sector, which accounts for 26%. According to Rosie Downey, “The technology industry might receive the majority of Silicon Valley’s attention but it’s not receiving the majority of the workforce. Nearly half the people employed here work in segments such as healthcare, retail, and construction.

SJBJ, July 19, 2019