Tech Boomtown Seattle Grapples with Fewer Tech Jobs (msn.com) 52
Near Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, the Five Stones coffee shop advertised for a barista a few months ago — and started getting resumes from "people who listed Microsoft and other tech companies," writes the Wall Street Journal:
The applicants typically had master's degrees and experience in graphic design or marketing roles, Andrews said — sometimes senior ones. They were applying to jobs at Five Stones that would pay Redmond's minimum wage, $16.66 an hour. Five Stones hasn't yet hired such candidates because the coffee shop gives priority to more traditional entry-level baristas, like high-schoolers...
[Microsoft and Amazon] have laid off more than 46,000 employees since 2023, according to Layoffs.fyi, which tracks workforce reductions. That represents 85% of layoffs by Seattle-area tech companies... As Amazon and Microsoft have made cuts — and other local tech firms including Expedia and Redfin have followed suit — the effects have rippled through Seattle's other business sectors. Weakness in payroll and sales tax contributed to a projected $146 million shortfall in revenue over the next two years. Restaurant and retail spending is down in the business and shopping districts surrounding Amazon's and Microsoft's campuses, with total transactions falling by as much as 7% in some popular areas in the past year, according to data from Square. In the first half of 2025, around 450 restaurants closed in Seattle, or about 16% of its total. "At the halfway point of the year, we've already seen as many closures as we'd usually see in a full year," said Anthony Anton, chief executive officer of the Washington Hospitality Association.
Uber driver Juan Prado made six figures in 2021, often shuttling passengers in town for job interviews and doing frequent drop-offs near downtown tech offices. Now, he said, demand is much lower. "There are moments where you can be online, and in certain areas, it shows nothing...." Seattle tech firms are asking for significantly fewer job placements than years ago, said Noelle McDonald, senior vice president at recruiting company Aquent, which counts Amazon and Microsoft as clients. Hiring windows have lengthened and open roles receive around 10 times as many applications.
And of course, "Commercial real-estate vacancies stand at a record high as offices built to accommodate a boom sit empty... "
While some laid-off employees launched their own startups, "the outlook for many tech workers is dour as companies invest in software tools they can use to streamline teams," the article points out. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella "has said the company is increasingly looking to AI to perform coding and other tasks once done by people," while in June, Amazon "said its workforce would shrink going forward."
[Microsoft and Amazon] have laid off more than 46,000 employees since 2023, according to Layoffs.fyi, which tracks workforce reductions. That represents 85% of layoffs by Seattle-area tech companies... As Amazon and Microsoft have made cuts — and other local tech firms including Expedia and Redfin have followed suit — the effects have rippled through Seattle's other business sectors. Weakness in payroll and sales tax contributed to a projected $146 million shortfall in revenue over the next two years. Restaurant and retail spending is down in the business and shopping districts surrounding Amazon's and Microsoft's campuses, with total transactions falling by as much as 7% in some popular areas in the past year, according to data from Square. In the first half of 2025, around 450 restaurants closed in Seattle, or about 16% of its total. "At the halfway point of the year, we've already seen as many closures as we'd usually see in a full year," said Anthony Anton, chief executive officer of the Washington Hospitality Association.
Uber driver Juan Prado made six figures in 2021, often shuttling passengers in town for job interviews and doing frequent drop-offs near downtown tech offices. Now, he said, demand is much lower. "There are moments where you can be online, and in certain areas, it shows nothing...." Seattle tech firms are asking for significantly fewer job placements than years ago, said Noelle McDonald, senior vice president at recruiting company Aquent, which counts Amazon and Microsoft as clients. Hiring windows have lengthened and open roles receive around 10 times as many applications.
And of course, "Commercial real-estate vacancies stand at a record high as offices built to accommodate a boom sit empty... "
While some laid-off employees launched their own startups, "the outlook for many tech workers is dour as companies invest in software tools they can use to streamline teams," the article points out. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella "has said the company is increasingly looking to AI to perform coding and other tasks once done by people," while in June, Amazon "said its workforce would shrink going forward."
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella "has said (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Replacement product lines (Score:2)
If the AI becomes a sideline tool and not 'the solution', there are a lot of old legacy product lines which will be even more legacy. This includes cloud, server software, business software, office productivity suites, email servers, etc.
Wall street wants to hear a > 40% growth in revenue due to AI products to replace the long-running growth in cloud computing revenue (which will level off).
An open question is: How much would you pay your doctor or lawyer if they gave you an obviously AI written 'exper
Re: (Score:2)
But professionals better look out, AI is a threat to them if their revenue stream is based on they know stuff.
Why stay in Seattle? (Score:5, Insightful)
If the job market has dried up for "tech workers" in Seattle, why stay? There are opportunities out there....just not in Seattle.
Re:Why stay in Seattle? (Score:4, Insightful)
Remote work has not continued the way many had hoped. Too many companies, Microsoft included have largely decreed that if you want to keep your job, you're going to have to live/work in one of their hubs, or be very lucky. As a result, not only are many stuck there, but many medium and small companies have done the same. Yes, remote jobs exist, they are just few and far between and much harder to get than even a couple of years ago.
Re: (Score:2)
Contrary to the headlines, remote work is still available for those who want it. I'm having no trouble finding openings that are fully remote.
Re: (Score:2)
Too many companies, Microsoft included have largely decreed that if you want to keep your job, you're going to have to live/work in one of their hubs
And you would be a fool to believe them, they will fire you even if you moved to their hub.
Oh, wait, is that why you are in Seattle right now?
Re: (Score:2)
Which is why I took advantage of the pandemic to GTFO of the Seattle area and are now in a much better place, the issue is always that not all companies are open to remote work, and those who are have states they can/can't hire in.
Re: (Score:2)
Geographical mobility used to be much easier. In the age of credit scores and limited housing, it is extremely difficult to find a landlord who will admit you without a job, and much harder to find a job that will hire you without already being local.
Re:Why stay in Seattle? (Score:4, Insightful)
If the job market has dried up for "tech workers" in Seattle, why stay? There are opportunities out there....just not in Seattle.
I guess you must be single or young....Reasons not to leave your area: owning a house, family, friends, not wanting to pull kids from school during critical times (or mid year), established connections, and a lot more tech jobs in Seattle than 99% of the rest of america, outside silicon valley? "Sell your house" and then you pick up a house that is also overpriced but pay much higher property taxes. Income tax is *zero* in Washington...Also, this is actually Redmond, not Seattle proper.
This is a bit of a sensationalist article since every time there's a series of layoffs or any 'economy fear' we start hearing about tech people applying at coffee shops specifically.
Re: Why stay in Seattle? (Score:2)
This. Young single people renting who can just up and go anytime really have no idea what it's like to be responsible for a family and have a mortgage.
Re: Why stay in Seattle? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
When did people get
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
As a child, I had to move with my parents a number of times as Dad progressed through his career....
Hell,, military brats do it all the time still....but it wasn't that long ago this was pretty common....grow up, leave the nest....it's ok and natural....
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Mild climate and amazing natural beauty?
Re:Why stay in Seattle? (Score:5, Interesting)
That is such a glib response. Moving is not without costs, both emotional and financial.
There are lots of reasons people stay. Often there are family considerations (spouse still has a job, for example), parents are in the area, ... or maybe you like where you live and want to do what you can to continue being there. Having friends is not to be underestimated and making new ones can be hard. People also have other financial problems - maybe over-paying on a house during good times and selling it would put you deeply in debt, which could be even worse than taking a job at minimum wage temporarily.
From a personal point of view, my parents moved when I was -2, -1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, and a few more times (I put -2 and -1 because I have an older sibling who was affected by moves before I was born). I think it did a lot of harm to me and my siblings emotionally. The moves were for job-related and personal reasons and I am sure it made sense to do for my parents, but instability can hurt kids a lot. Avoiding such disruption is probably a good thing to attempt to do if you have kids.
Historically the tech market has had cycles and it is likely to come back. Sometimes having patience and staying in the same place may be a better choice than looking for greener grass elsewhere.
Re: (Score:2)
From a personal point of view, my parents moved when I was -2, -1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, and a few more times (I put -2 and -1 because I have an older sibling who was affected by moves before I was born). I think it did a lot of harm to me and my siblings emotionally.
Oh, you are 100% right. This was basically my childhood experience. My dad was in the US Army; and, back then (1960s-1970s), he was getting moved a lot. In terms of my age, my family moved at: 0, 1, 4, 5, 7, 7, 7 (yes three moves while I was in second grade), 9, 10. On top of that, at (my age) 8 he was shipped to Vietnam, then they wanted to ship him there again when I was 11... so he decided to get out.
Interestingly (and possibly ironically) when he left active duty, he moved into a mostly equivalent full-
You will be exterminated, next (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
There are around 3,000 billionaires in the world, one for every 2.3 million people.
I think within each of these "groups" of 2.3 million people, we'll find ways to live our lives, just among ourselves.
Re: (Score:2)
This.
There aren't enough billionaires to go around. You might think that serving the billionaire slice of the economy is a wise move. But outside of a few luxury goods and services (yachts, private jets, etc.) it's a business plan destined to fail. Jeff Bezos might be worth 10^6 times myself. But he can't eat 10^6 times the filet mignon that I can. And since I represent a much larger economic segment than he does, the best butcher shop in town caters to me, not him. Jeff's private chef most likely shops at
Re: (Score:2)
Where do you fit in the billionaire-only society they are making? Nowhere.
That might be the end game, but the immediate future is that where you fit in is serving wealthy people. For pretty much the entire time anyone alive now has been working, western countries have had a self-sustaining middle class. You could go work in a job making stuff for people like yourself.
This is disappearing. Businesses that cater to the middle class have had to move to the lower end - it's why you see all the complaints about how quality has suffered in restaurants, clothing etc. What's happening is
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
dont give these dickaloos any ground, they are the most dei admin we've ever had, its a hugbox in there
theyre so sweaty to make being conservative a protected class because it turns out they were the real snowflakes all along
Re: (Score:3)
Doesn’t it get boring with the same troll account making the same posts every day?
Re: (Score:1)
Autism is a hell of a drug
Re: (Score:1)
this is so true they had to post it as ac otherwise the woke police would be hunting them down
also get your republican talking points in order, you're supposed to say its like that now, not 10 years ago. read your emails the script is in there!
Re:Leftist Unions. Political Activists. Failing DE (Score:4, Insightful)
If you want excellent talent, you have to be willing to hire outside the straight white male demographic. Remember the Tuskegee Airmen?
To put it another way, why do you think all the tech hubs are in liberal cities?
Re: (Score:1)
why do you think all the tech hubs are in liberal cities?
Tech generates money. Money attracts grifters.
Hiring Priority @ Five Stones (Score:3)
"Five Stones hasn't yet hired such candidates because the coffee shop gives priority to more traditional entry-level baristas, like high-schoolers..."
Umm, isn’t that age discrimination by another name?
Re: (Score:2)
Pretty much. Like seeing engineering jobs advertised for recent grads only.
Re: (Score:2)
They're not discriminate over age so much as they are candidates that will want more money or soon leave for more money.
People accustomed to $100k/yr. aren't going to be around long at $16/hr. But, you could keep a high schooler for a few years. Plus, they'll be part timers. So, no benefits requirements.
Re: Hiring Priority @ Five Stones (Score:2)
Re: Hiring Priority @ Five Stones (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Texas would be nice. Maybe around Fort Worth.