KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
Have any leads or feedback for the KUOW Blog? Contact Dyer Oxley at dyer@kuow.org.
Stories
-
Seattle gained a lot of tech workers during the pandemic
During the pandemic, news that tech workers might be migrating away from large metro areas — with high costs of living — concerned some Seattleites.
Had Seattle been losing its highly-paid tech talent? Apparently, to the contrary, according to a new report. Recent layoffs aside, Seattle gained a substantial portion of tech workers over the last three years, the report states.
"For tech talent across all experience levels, Seattle was the No. 2 market," said Chris Volney, managing director with CBRE Consulting, which wrote the report.
Austin took the No. 1 spot for inbound tech migration.
"That didn't particularly surprise me because we're also tracking, during this time, who's hiring and where they're hiring," Volney said. "And a lot of the bigger and smaller tech companies in Seattle, especially in the 2021 into 2022 timeframe, were hiring at a really rapid pace. Just given those job opportunities in the market and the diversity of job opportunities, I think that was probably really attractive to a lot of the younger talent who is just starting out their careers."
RELATED: What can Seattle's 1970s 'Boeing Bust' teach us about recent tech layoffs?
CBRE Consulting defines a "tech worker" as anyone with a tech-related job, no matter where they work. An employee doesn't have to work at a tech company —they could work at a financial services company, for example. Tech workers could include software engineers, product managers, data scientists, etc.
CBRE started polling this data at the beginning of the pandemic, and kept monitoring trends each year. Overall, Seattle gained 11.5% tech workers during this time.
Seattle's pool of young tech workers, like college graduates, increased by more than 15% over 2022, which is higher than any other major city, including California's tech empire. By comparison, Austin and San Francisco saw gains of about 9% among younger workers.
Seattle wasn’t alone in its concerns. Other northern cities fretted about losing tech workers to smaller cities and Sun Belt metros. But overall, that didn’t pan out, Volney said.
Continue reading » -
Seattle becomes a literary hotspot this week with the AWP Conference
Our arts and culture picks this week turn to our collective love of books and creative writing. The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) is hosting a huge conference and book fair at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle. It starts Wednesday and continues into the weekend. And even if you're not a writer, there will be plenty of free offsite events to check out. To learn more about it, KUOW’s Kim Malcolm talked to Shin Yu Pai, Seattle's Civic Poet and the host of the KUOW podcast, "The Blue Suit."
About the AWP Conference
This giant creative writing conference moves from city to city every year. It’s a place where writers working primarily in universities gather. It's an opportunity to hear a lot of blockbuster authors read their work, as well as to attend panels on the craft of writing. And all the disciplines of writing are represented, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and this year, some graphic novel and comics in the mix as well.
The AWP Bookfair
Hundreds of presses and literary organizations set up tables. If you're an author, somebody who's really interested in literature, or a creative writing student, going to the AWP Bookfair is an opportunity to become more acquainted and aware of literary journals, small presses, and just the landscape and ecosystem of publishing.
It’s pricey to attend this academic conference, but on Saturday they're offering all-day passes for $25, which will get you into any of the conference presentations or sessions, and the book fair itself. And Saturday is the last day of the fair when a lot of people are packing up. There are giveaways, free journals, and deep discounts on books, so it's a very good day to pick up free swag.
Mutant, Monster, Misfit, Myself: Writing the Disabled / Chronically Ill Body
This is a session with several authors who either have disability or chronic illness. There's a range of disciplines represented, including poetry and memoir. I'm really interested in the way that the body is discussed and represented in the writing of these individuals who have particular perspectives when it comes to how they navigate space in the world. And it’s going to be live streamed and there will be ASL interpretation as well as live captioning provided for it.
Opacity of Performance, at Northwest Film Forum
I'm very excited to see Takahiro Yamamoto tonight. Taka is a sculptor, photographer, writer, and choreographer who will be visiting from Portland. He'll be doing an event around a book called "Opacity of Performance," which is a collection he organized a couple of years ago connected to a performance he did at the Portland Art Museum that was about exploring one's visibility and the ability to make oneself disappear.
Links to other AWP Offsite Events
Continue reading » -
Cars will soon roll again onto the Bainbridge-Seattle ferry
Ferry commuters on the Bainbridge Island-Seattle route will soon get full access to their cherished ferry terminal — that means cars, bikes, motorcycles and more will be welcomed back onto the boats.
Cars and other wheels have been barred from using the ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island since last Thursday. It will reopen to traffic at 3 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13.
RELATED: Bainbridge ferry passengers battle route restrictions
The disruption was caused by construction of a new walk-on passenger bridge that crosses over the road vehicles use to drive onto the ferry. Now, two new bridge spans have been installed on top of concrete pillars.
The new overhead walkway is part of a $33 million effort to upgrade the ferry terminal at Bainbridge Island. Washington State Ferries says this is the most-heavily used walk-on ferry route in its system.
The new overhead walkway is designed to be more seismically stable. It is slated to open sometime in the fall. The old walkway will be demolished sometime in winter.
RELATED: Bremerton ferry that ran aground on Bainbridge Island ready for a comeback
Continue reading »