Foreign-born workers now two-third of South Bay tech workforce: study
What we know
Since the 1970s and '80s, tech has transformed the one-time produce valley into Silicon Valley — a haven for high-tech companies and workers.
Research from Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a South Bay think tank, shows tech workers from outside the United States are a dominant majority.
"We just track population trends; we do that routinely. And we've seen that the share of the population that is coming from some other country has continuously grown," said Russell Hancock, president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley.
He said over the past 30 years, the percentage of foreign-born tech workers in Silicon Valley has swelled to two-thirds of all tech workers.
What they're saying
"That actually tracks with what I see around me when I go over to visit folks at Meta or Google and notice a lot of people who are apparently foreign-born," said Larry Magid, a longtime South Bay tech expert.
"Everybody knew California is the place to be. It has top schools as well; that's why I'm here," added Ashish Aggarwal.
Aggarwal was born and raised in India and moved to Silicon Valley in the early 2000s. In 2024, he launched Jubilee TV, a television and communications hub for seniors.
"There's still a massive amount of talent and hunger in those kids coming to the U.S.," he said. "There is a great appetite from investors to foster innovation in Silicon Valley, in California."
Experts said Silicon Valley's three pillars of education, climate, and diversity continue to attract and retain the best and brightest from around the world.
San Jose State University computer scientist Dr. Ahmed Banafa was working in Pennsylvania 30 years ago when he visited Silicon Valley for a web project. He instantly fell in love with the culture and went back to the Keystone State.
"I told my friends in Pennsylvania, 'Sell everything, I'm not coming back,'" he said excitedly, explaining that he didn't even retrieve his belongings. "I told them sell everything. I'm not kidding."
Experts said the only thing that can threaten that mystical allure is the problem of overpopulation and the high cost of housing.
"The companies themselves are starting to relocate their workforce to other places around the country and even around the world," said Hancock.
The Nvidia GTC runs March 17-21 at the McHenry Convention Center in downtown San Jose. Thousands of tech enthusiasts from around the world are expected to attend.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.
The Source
Interviews with Joint Venture Silicon Valley, tech expert Larry Magid, and current foreign-born tech workers in the South Bay.
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