(GeekWire Photo / Monica Nickelsburg)
Apple is planning to expand its presence in Seattle, hiring an additional 2,000 new hires over the course of the next five years, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced in a statement on Monday.
Apple already has a presence in Seattle, with several office in the city. Teams in the city include those working on iCloud, artificial intelligence, and Siri. Previous rumors has indicated Apple was preparing to expand their presence in the city, yesterday’s announcement confirms the company’s plans.
Mayor Durkin’s announcement was as follows:
“These new jobs confirm what we already knew, we have the best talent and city anywhere. Apple’s expanded footprint in Seattle is another example of the growing opportunity that exists for residents of Seattle and the economic powerhouse our City has become. Yet we know that as Seattle continues to grow, we must act urgently to address the pressures that follow – from tackling affordability to new affordable housing to increasing transit.
“By next year, an estimated 70% of jobs in Washington State will require some sort of post-secondary credential. It is my top priority that our kids growing up in Seattle today are prepared to fill the great engineering and computer science jobs that Apple announced today. That’s why we created the Seattle Promise and the Opportunity Promise – so our youth are connected with resources and put on a path to the good paying jobs of Seattle’s future.”
Rumors from earlier this month indicated Apple was considering taking a lease at a large office complex in the South Lake Union neighborhood in the northwestern city. The Cupertino firm is said to be planning to occupy a building at 333 Dexter Lane. The project includes two 12-story office towers totaling 630,000 square feet of space, which could accommodate around 4,200 employees.
