High Tech is Hot -- and CA is on fire!

California's high-tech industry added more than 21,000 jobs last year, and is maintaining its place as the nation's industry leader.

According to the AeA 2008 Cyberstate's report, California's technology workers earned an average wage of $101, 200 (112% above the state's average private-sector wage.) By the numbers, California has 940,700 high-tech workers, a high-tech payroll of $95.2 billion and 43, 400 high-tech enterprises. All these make it the top "cyberstate" in the country.

Christopher Hansen, AeA President & CEO, singled out "negligence on the part of our political leaders" to invest in research, improve the U.S. education system and "allow the best and the brightest" from around the wolrd to work in the United States.

See his interview with Fox Business News. (04/02/08).


Topics include Cyberstates 2008, High Skilled Visa Reform, STEM Education, and U.S. Competitiveness.

In a separate interview, Mr. Hansen told Congress Daily that "The upside is that technology jobs pay considerably more than most other posts in the private sector and although the labor market remains tight, unemployment rates are below 2% across many tech occupations." The bad news, he told the publication, is "The tech industry and the country risk an impending slide in U.S. global competiveness, caused by negligence on the part of our political leaders to adequately invest in scientific research, improve our education system, and allow the best and brightest from around the world to work in the United States."

Mr, Hansen also discused the importance of the "America Competes Act."

AeA GREEN initiatives ...in the press...

Chris Hansen, AeA’s new President & CEO, has got his finger on the pulse of the high tech community. On February 11th, he brought AeA’s environmental policy efforts to the forefront by announcing Ms. Holly Evans (President, Strategic Council LLC) as an advisor to the association. In this capacity, she will also be available to assist member companies on environmental policy issues at the State, international & federal levels via an acclaimed newsletter “Environmental Issues Update” which analyzes product-related environmental requirements of relevance to the electronics industry.

“One of the biggest challenges facing the high-tech industry today is the increasing number of environmental bills & regulations at every level of government that have proliferated across the country, imposing costly and burdensome requirements on manufacturers, “ said Mr. Hansen. “Under Holly’s trusted and experienced leadership, AeA will be even better positioned to engage this legislation at every turn, and add to our lobbying capabilities around the world.”

(Click here to see the official press release and more details on Holly Evans)

As for the AeA Los Angeles Council (which I chair), we are doing our part to educate members of the high tech community on green initiatives. On 03/20/08, we are hosting an event entitled “How Going Green Impacts The Bottom Line.”

(Click here to see our official press release!) Or scroll down through this blog to see what issues we will be touching on!