While cities all across the U.S. are expanding their tech sectors, only a few are drawing large amounts of qualified tech workers.
A new study from job database site Indeed revealed that tech professionals were 3.6 times more likely to search for available positions in San Francisco, San Jose, Austin and Seattle than anywhere else in the nation. Time magazine noted that this recent data indicates a growing trend, as in 2013 job seekers were only 3.3 times more likely to explore opportunities in these four cities. This means that as tech employment grows increasingly competitive in these desirable areas, other cities are experiencing skills gaps and worker shortages.
Fortune magazine pointed out that, due to the popularity of these regions, other hubs are finding it difficult to bridge the divide between empty tech positions and eligible applicants. Cities like New York and Atlanta, which ranked highly in terms of available tech jobs, were significantly less appealing to tech professionals and therefore received far fewer searches and applications. Notably, many cities who ranked within the top 10 most desirable spots for tech workers did not score highly in terms of open positions. For example, Salt Lake City was the No. 5 most-searched area for tech professionals, but was ranked 14th when it came to hiring.