Source: smallpdf.com

Greater Los Angeles/Orange County Ranked #12 in CBRE’s Annual ‘Scoring Tech Talent’ Report; Region Added More Than 7,000 Tech Workers in 2021, the Third-Largest Gain Among U.S. Markets, and Produced the Second-Highest Number of Tech Degree Graduates

The Greater Los Angeles/Orange County region ranks No. 12 overall in CBRE’s 2022 Scoring Tech Talent report as North American tech-talent employment bounced back from the pandemic to post job gains across most top markets in 2021, though the industry’s resilience will be tested again amid economic turmoil in 2022, according to a new report from CBRE.

California’s Inland Empire is also included in the report among small tech talent markets of less than 50,000 workers. The Inland Empire added 6,990 tech jobs between 2016 to 2021, a growth rate of 39 percent, which was the highest rate among U.S. markets. The Inland Empire also benefits from being the fifth-most-concentrated market for Gen Z, with those aged 20 to 24 years old representing 7.2 percent of the overall population.

The U.S. added a net 136,000 tech talent jobs last year across established hubs such as the San Francisco Bay Area, New York and Seattle as well as smaller markets like Nashville, Cleveland and California’s Inland Empire. Both tech job growth and tech office leasing proved resilient by rebounding in 2021 from slowdowns in 2020.

Los Angeles/Orange County stood out in the report for its tech talent gains during the pandemic, adding more than 7,000 tech workers in 2021 alone. The region also excelled in its tech degree completions, producing the second-highest number of tech graduates in 2020 (14,504), behind only the New York metro.

“The large number of tech degree graduates plays a significant role in the expansion we are seeing in the tech industry throughout southern California. The desirable weather and lifestyle in Los Angeles provides an added attraction for tech talent to remain here and for tech employers to locate where that talent wants to be based. This is fueling expansion by both traditional tech and tech directly linked to the media, entertainment and gaming sectors,” said Michelle Esquivel-Hall, executive vice president with CBRE’s Tech & Media Practice in Los Angeles.

CBRE’s report, now in its 10th year, ranks the top 50 North American markets by analyzing 13 measures of their ability to attract and develop tech talent, including tech graduation rates, tech-job concentration, tech labor pool size, and labor and real estate costs.

CBRE also ranks the Next 25 emerging tech markets on a narrower set of criteria. Tech talent is defined as 20 key tech professions — such as software engineers and systems and data managers – across all industries.

Greater Los Angeles/Orange County stood out in the report in several other key areas:

• Greater Los Angeles/Orange County’s tech talent workforce grew by 10 percent from 2016 to 2021, reaching 235,800 workers. This makes it the fifth-largest tech talent workforce in North America.
• The region produced nearly 45,000 more tech degrees than tech jobs between 2016 and 2021, meaning more tech talent is available for companies looking to hire in the region.
• It is the 10th-most-concentrated market for both millennials and Gen Z with the age cohorts representing 22.6 percent and 6.8 percent of the overall population, respectively. For this analysis, CBRE defines millennials as 25 to 39 years old and working age Gen Z as 20 to 24 years old.

Spectrum Internet 100 Free to Eligible Affordable Connectivity Program Households; Service Includes 100 Mbps Download Speeds, Modem and In-Home WiFi

Charter Communications, Inc. today announced it is now offering Spectrum Internet 100 across virtually all of its entire 41-state service area. The new high-speed, low-cost broadband service provides 100 Mbps download speeds for just $29.99 per month, and includes a modem, in-home WiFi and self-installation at no additional charge. Spectrum Internet 100 is available exclusively to households eligible for the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and all Spectrum Internet and legacy plans — including Spectrum Internet Gig — are eligible for ACP credits.

The ACP provides qualifying households up to a $30 monthly credit ($75 on qualifying Tribal lands) toward broadband service — which allows eligible customers to receive Spectrum Internet 100 at no monthly cost. Like all Spectrum Internet plans, Spectrum Internet 100 also has no modem fees, data caps or contracts, and customers can cancel anytime without penalty.

“The Affordable Connectivity Program is an important step in driving broadband adoption in America,” said Catherine Bohigian, Charter Executive Vice President, Government Affairs. “With Spectrum Internet 100, Charter is delivering a high-speed, high-quality broadband option — available at no cost to ACP-qualified households— throughout our 41-state service area.”

For more information on the ACP and to apply online, consumers should visit fcc.gov/acp. Interested consumers should first confirm their eligibility through the National Verifier, then contact Spectrum at 1-877-959-1748 to apply for the credit.

A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household participates in or is eligible for a variety of assistance programs, including:

• SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC or Lifeline.
• Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
• The National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision.
• Recipients of a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year.

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the Best Internet Service Provider for Rural Areas in its 2021-22 ratings, Spectrum Internet also exceeded advertised download and upload speeds for all tiers measured — even during peak weeknight usage between 7 and 11 p.m. — according to the FCC’s most recent “Measuring Broadband America Fixed Broadband Report” issued in December 2021.

Charter is Advancing Access to High-Speed Internet

High-speed internet access is more important than ever, yet tens of millions of households and businesses — especially among vulnerable communities and in rural areas — still lack access, worry about costs, or have not adopted service. Charter has taken a comprehensive approach to solving this problem:

• Improve Affordability: The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program makes internet service available at effectively no cost to families in financial need, and Spectrum Internet 100 includes a modem, router and in-home WiFi at no additional charge. And all Spectrum Internet plans have no data caps, modem fees or contracts.
• Advance Access: Charter is investing over $5 billion to bring reliable, high-speed internet access to approximately 1 million currently unserved families and small businesses through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).
• Increase Adoption: To increase adoption and access to technology, Charter offers philanthropic support to community organizations through Spectrum Digital Education grants, which provide computers, digital education classes and technology labs for thousands across the country.
• Protect Americans’ Privacy and Security Online: Charter has been a longtime advocate for Congress to come together in a bipartisan, consensus way to take action on a comprehensive, uniform, national framework to protect consumers’ privacy online and offers certainty now and for years to come.