Communications of the ACM
Why Tech Workers Are Ditching Big Cities for Boise
Boise's blend of nature and city life helps draw tech workers.
Credit: Getty Images
Young people are increasingly exploring roles inland in the U.S., leaving behind bigger coastal cities while shifting the types of jobs they seek, according to a report from Handshake. Applications on Handshake are up 116 percent year-over-year for roles in Boise, the company's data shows. The report also found that students are moving away from traditionally popular roles like Internet and software companies, and increasingly applying to roles in government, hardware, semiconductor companies, and manufacturing.
Boise, among the most isolated cities in the U.S., has become home to a growing tech boom. Micron is building a $15 billion manufacturing facility that's expected to open there in 2025. A 2022 report found that Idaho had the second largest increase in tech jobs of any U.S. state. With more affordable living costs, Boise is drawing tech workers who want a blend of nature, city life, and work-life balance alongside stability and opportunity.
Labor experts say the dust from tech layoffs is starting to settle. But Gen Z is focused on stability, says Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake. The move to more affordable, non-coastal cities is appealing for a generation that has watched millennials struggle under student loan debt and rising housing costs. "As long as housing continues to skyrocket in some of the major cities, some of these secondary cities that are a little bit smaller, a little bit more manageable, will continue to see a bit of an increase in the number of young professionals that are willing to go there," she says.
From Wired
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