Seattle A Major Employment Hub For Generation-Y

The Great Recession has taken its toll nationwide; but no other group has experienced this as much as the Millennials (Generation-Y).  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment for workers 16 to 24 is a staggering 17.1 percent nationwide. But no region is equal when it comes to how much job opportunity there is for the Millennials. With a large portion of this demographic trained in technology and social media, Seattle has proven to be a wellspring for finding work with wages that have seen a significant amount of growth in recent years despite the recession.

Among the 20 largest metropolitan areas PayScale studied, Seattle came out on top with the nation’s largest wage growth (4.4 percent from 2009 to 2012) for the Millennial demographic, well outpacing the national average of 2.5 percent for that period. While San Francisco boasted the highest Millennial median annual income in the country ($51,300), Seattle reported a strong $44,000 figure, along with an identical representation of workers in their age group (22 percent for both cities) and a shorter average commute time (24.3 minutes, compared to 29.3 minutes in San Francisco). (source)

Many Millennials are choosing to relocate to Seattle in search of financial stability which has become something more difficult to attain.  Such a demographic shift could point to a future where Seattle and the surrounding areas become younger as these transplants settle down and start families. And that’s good news for Seattle’s overall economy.