Employment Falls In Silicon Valley

经济衰退波及美国硅谷，这个高科技产业密集区去年就业下滑，人均收入减少，均为数年来所首见。这些发现来自于两家非盈利机构发布的一份年度跟踪报告。这两家机构--Joint Venture Silicon Valley与Silicon Valley Community Foundation--代表了旧金山和圣何赛的企业政府机构和慈善机构，它们发布的年度报告受到密切关注。Joint Venture Silicon Valley首席执行长拉塞尔•汉考克(Russell Hancock)称，虽然硅谷经济在2008年大部分时间内保持增长，但在去年11月停止并在此后迅速下滑。他说：“此前有人以为硅谷拥有特别的法宝，能起到帮助抵御危机的作用，现在我们知道我们也要尝尝同样的痛楚。而且我们还没跌到底，这得花上一段时间。”在坏消息中，硅谷去年12月的就业较上年同期下滑了1.3%，是2005年以来该地区就业增长首次停滞。此外，硅谷地区2008年的人均收入下降0.8%，为63,880美元，是2003年以来该地区人均收入首次下降。2008年全美人均收入为37,979美元，增长0.2%。还有迹象显示，硅谷以创新为本的产业结构出现了一些裂痕。该地区的风险投资--风险投资为初创企业提供资金，最终孕育出创新产品--在2008年减少了7.7%，是2005年以来首次下滑。在动荡的市况下，去年没有几家靠风险资金支持的企业公开上市。报告还称，该地区的专利申请量也略有减少。报告称，硅谷社区的贫富差距仍在扩大。年收入超过10万美元的家庭比例由2002年的35%增至42%，而年收入不到3.5万美元的家庭由2002年的19%增至20%。汉考克称，硅谷正在为复兴埋下一些种子，所看好的是某些新兴产业，例如与清洁能源有关的企业，从生产太阳能电池板到节能设备应有尽有。去年在该领域的投资较之前一年猛然增长了94%。环保技术领域提供的工作岗位较2005年增长了23%。Pui-Wing Tam相关阅读香港近期失业率升至两年半高位 2009-02-18美国2008年第四季度逾50万人失业 2009-02-14全球金融体系浮现持稳迹象 2009-02-12英国1月份失业率升至9年高点 2009-02-11Fed官员Fisher：2009年全年经济将进一步萎缩 2009-02-10美国失业现象愈演愈烈，受经济衰退加剧影响 2009-02-06


Silicon Valley posted a drop in employment and recorded a decline in per capita income in 2008 for the first time in several years, as the recession caught up with the technology-heavy region.The findings come in a closely watched annual report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, two nonprofits representing businesses, government agencies and philanthropies in the San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., area.While Silicon Valley's economy held up for most of 2008, the region's growth halted in November and has since declined rapidly, said Russell Hancock, chief executive of Joint Venture Silicon Valley. 'There was a feeling that Silicon Valley had special assets to help weather the crisis, but we now know we're in for the same pain,' Mr. Hancock said. 'We haven't hit bottom yet and it will be a while.'Among the bad news was that Silicon Valley posted a 1.3% drop in employment in December from a year earlier, the first time since 2005 that the area hasn't continued a jobs revival. In addition, Silicon Valley's per capita income declined 0.8% to $63,880 in 2008 while per capita income in the U.S. broadly rose 0.2% to $37,979. It was the first time since 2003 that the region's per capita income fell, according to the study.There were also signs that Silicon Valley's innovation-oriented structure was showing some cracks. Venture capital investments -- which provide financing for the start-ups that eventually go on to produce innovative new products -- slid 7.7% in the region in 2008, the first decline since 2005. Few venture-backed companies were able to go public last year because of  market turmoil. The overall number of patents being filed in the region also fell slightly, according to the study.Silicon Valley's society also remains split between the haves and have-nots, according to the study. The percentage of households earning more than $100,000 a year rose to 42% from 35% in 2002. Meanwhile, the percentage of households earning less than $35,000 a year reached 20%, up from 19% in 2002.Mr. Hancock said Silicon Valley is laying some seeds for a revival. The region is betting on emerging sectors, such as clean technology-related companies that produce everything from solar panels to energy-saving devices. Investment in that field jumped 94% last year from a year earlier. Clean-tech job growth is also up 23% from 2005.Pui-Wing Tam