Seattle One of the World’s Most ‘Future-Ready’ Cities

Seattle PI | Daniel Demay | April 5

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Seattle-highly-ranked-as-future-ready-7230451.php

“Say what you will about the tech boom in Seattle — it’s good for having a future-ready economy. That’s what computer manufacturer Dell said of the Emerald City in its ranking of 50 cities around the world. Seattle came in 13th on the list of metropolitan areas with future-ready economies, called the Dell Future-Ready Economy Model, according to a news release. ..”This ranking scores large, high-growth global metropolitan areas based on attributes that enable people and organizations to access new tools and new ideas that deliver better connectivity, better economic performance – and a greater ability to attract talent,” the release said.”

Tech Workers Living Large in Seattle, Texas

USA Today | John Shinal | April 5

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/shinal/2016/04/05/tech-workers-living-large-seattle-texas/82631090/

“If you’re an American who wants to make more money, learn a technology occupation. If you’re already a tech worker and want to live even more like the rich, move to Seattle or Texas…Workers employed in “computer and math occupations” in the cities with the most technology workers made annual salaries roughly 50% to 75% higher than the overall workforce. Seattle tech workers, for example, made a mean salary of $108,350, or 78% more than the $61,000 earned by all workers there.”

Seattle Continues Quest to Get Greener as It Grows With ‘Transformative’ Light-Rail Expansion

Los Angeles Times | William Yardley | April 4

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sej-seattle-light-rail-20160404-story.html

“It is just a modest extension — two stations added to 13 others already in existence on a line that serves a tiny fraction of the population in one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities…Seattle, surrounded by natural beauty and filled with ambition, has struggled for years to answer questions that go to the heart of what will become of this planet: Can a big city get bigger — and greener — at the same time?..The light-rail system opened in 2009 to something less than euphoria, and ridership fell short of early Sound Transit projections…But supporters believe rising ridership from the new stations will help make the case for expansion.”

Alaska-Virgin Deal a Big Win for Boeing and the Puget Sound Region

Puget Sound Business Journal | Emily Parkhurst | April 4

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/04/04/alaska-virgin-deal-a-big-win-for-boeing-and-the.html

“Virgin America has an all-Airbus fleet. Alaska Airlines (NYSE: ALK) has an all-Boeing fleet. It would seem that in a merger – Alaska’s $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America was announced Monday– the combined company would become a mixed fleet…Boeing announced last week plans to cut 4,000 jobs in the next few months as the company attempts to keep up with competition from Airbus. While those cuts are likely to happen regardless of new orders, a stronger Alaska could help make for a stronger Boeing. Overall, that’s good for the Puget Sound region.”

Office Property Market Posts Strong First-Quarter Growth

Wall Street Journal | Eliot Brown | April 3

http://www.wsj.com/articles/office-property-market-posts-strong-first-quarter-growth-1459740601

“The U.S. office market grew at a strong pace in the first quarter, an indication of strength in the economy as employers continue to expand…Seattle’s office market has seen explosive demand lately from the technology sector, particularly Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc., both of which are rapidly growing in new buildings. But technology isn’t the only growing segment of the local economy. Last week developer Wright Runstad announced it struck a preliminary deal with outdoor gear retailer REI to build a new, larger, headquarters in Bellevue, a dense suburb to the east of Seattle.”