Silicon Beat just posted a very interesting article on high-tech job growth and what the numbers really mean, with the recent announcement of LinkedIn’s expansion into Sunnyvale as its case study. One extrapolation that the article makes is that the 3000+ LinkedIn jobs should really translate into 18,000 total jobs in the area, because each high-tech job tends to spur five additional high-tech and service industry jobs. Very interesting read.
But the basic thrust of the article bodes extremely well for Silicon Valley in general and Sunnyvale specifically. The peripheral job growth being discussed will lag behind the construction boom and corporate expansion that we’re encountering right now, and it will place increased demands and growth opportunities for the various service industries, like restaurants and retail. We’ve already been told that the demand for the retail space in the Downtown is very hot, and the expansions are going to dramatically increase customer demand.
I’m speculating here, but we may encounter something of a commercial boom that follows behind the high-tech expansion boom. If only the legal issues with the Downtown could be resolved, it’s really primed to go. But I wouldn’t expect commercial growth to be limited there – there’s hope for commercial development on the north side, such as Mathilda near Peery Park, maybe in Moffett Park itself, and south side along Homestead (although much of that will be in Cupertino, I suspect).
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