How quickly did high-technology employment grow in Silicon Valley after 1959?

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Map of Silicon Valley with colored markers showing tech locations: blue historically important offices, green HQs, orange offices, and purple clusters across the Bay Area. — Silicon Valley Silicon Valley highlighting key historic tech offices, major tech headquarters, and offices with headquarters elsewhere.

High-technology employment in Silicon Valley experienced rapid and consistent growth following 1959. The number of high-technology jobs in the region increased significantly over the subsequent decades:1

1959: Approximately 18,000 jobs.
1971: Approximately 117,000 jobs.
1990: Nearly 268,000 filled positions.

This upward trend continued into the late 1990s, with the region adding more than 230,000 jobs between 1992 and 1999, representing a 23 percent increase. This expansion was fueled by the evolution of the industry from semiconductors to personal computers, software, and Internet-based businesses. To meet the high demand for specialized labor, the United States adjusted immigration quotas, leading to a significant influx of skilled workers from abroad.12