If you’re an expert in cloud computing, Seattle is probably your best choice of location. Though historically Seattle has been a prosperous city with a fair share of tech jobs, the last few years has elevated its status to that of a cloud hub. If you’re still wondering why, it’s home to the two biggest companies in cloud computing – Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. With these two giants calling Seattle home, it’s no brainer to understand the kind of opportunities that’s available for cloud techies in this city.

This boom in Seattle has augured well for not just this city, but for the entire state of Washington as well. Statistics show that from 2013 to 2016, labor force in Washington grew by 7.2 percent. The number of people employed in cloud-related jobs grew by 26 percent during the same period, and accounts for the employment of more than 80,000 people.

It’s not just the tech sector, but other areas have also benefited largely from this cloud boom. People who move in here need houses to live, and this has helped the construction industry in a big way. In many ways, this boom was a blessing for the real-estate industry that was under pressure during and after the Great Recession of 2008. This scenario also explains why Seattle’s home prices did not drop as much, when compared to other major cities in the US.

Besides construction and real-estate, other industries such as retail and consumer goods have also gained much from the cloud boom, albeit indirectly. When more people move into a city, they fuel more demand for goods and services. In general, the tech industry is known for its above average salaries, so those employed in it have gone beyond the staples, thereby invigorating a falling luxury goods market. In other words, a wide spectrum of retail industry in Seattle has benefited by the cloud boom.

With all these sectors showing remarkable progress, the government is not to be left behind. More money by way of taxes has gone into the government’s coffers, and this has led to a substantial increase in social and welfare programs. The public school system of Washington is considered one of the best in the country, and rightly so, because of its larger availability of funds when compared to other states.

In all, cloud industry has contributed in a big way to the growth of Seattle, and the state of Washington as a whole. This region is only expected to get better in the future, as both AWS and Microsoft are expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. To add to this cheer, Google is also looking to expand its presence in Seattle. Already, Google has offices in the Puget Sound area as well as in nearby Kirkland, and it plans to construct a new campus just a few blocks from Amazon’s headquarters. Another player, Facebook, is already rapidly expanding in Seattle, and hundreds of startup companies have come up in Seattle to service these larger players.

So, if you’re looking for a change in 2017, you know where to head!

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