Rapid growth in jobs and office rents puts Seattle among leaders in Top 30 Tech Markets, Sea-Tac Airport launches first-ever US program to aid those with hidden disabilities, and more in this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

The Best Places for Business and Careers 2019: Seattle Still on Top

Forbes | Samantha Sharf | October 30

“The Emerald City, at this point, is accustomed to winning, with an economy that grew at three times the rate of the median U.S. city last year—8.4%, or 7% net of inflation…It is one of small handful of big cities that have seen more people move in than depart in recent years, and it has a healthy supply of highly educated young workers. A talented workforce is a big reason Seattle claims the top spot in Forbes’ list of the Best Places for Business and Careers for the second year in a row.”

Rapid Growth in Jobs and Office Rents Puts Seattle among Leaders in Top 30 Tech Markets

GeekWire | Kurt Schlosser | October 30

“Another new report is shining a light on Seattle’s rapid growth among leading tech hubs. CBRE’s annual Tech-30 report, which measures the tech industry’s impact on North American office real estate markets, shows Seattle is the sixth fastest growing tech market in overall office rent growth. Rents jumped 12.4 percent between Q2 2017 and Q2 2019, up from 11.7 percent in the previous two-year period, CBRE reported. Seattle is also fourth in tech employment growth, with a rate of 23.7 percent during 2017 and 2018. The 34,000 new jobs added in the market were the highest number among any of the Tech-30 cities.”

Sea-Tac Airport Launches First-Ever US Program to Aid Those with Hidden Disabilities

KING 5 | KING 5 Staff | October 27

“Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has announced several new services aimed at making air travel more accessible to all. On Monday, Sea-Tac will launch a sunflower lanyards pilot program to better cater to the needs of those with hidden disabilities. The program is the first of its kind in the United States. Sunflower lanyards, first used at the Gatwick International Airport in London, indicate that the individual wearing it has a hidden disability like PTSD, diabetes, autism, and hearing loss, among other things.”