Several economic think tanks and community agencies have raised danger flags about the future of Silicon Valley. Politicians and labor groups also have weighed in. So far, there's been a lot of talk and report writing - and little action. CEOs surveyed each year say the talent shortage is the No. 1 threat to the valley, says Carl Guardino of Silicon Valley Manufacturers Group. The high-tech economic engine has created more than 100,000 unfilled jobs here.
Panicky companies recruit worldwide for highly skilled engineers and managers.
A full-blown housing crisis. The valley has about 20,000 homeless people, says Maury Kendall of the Emergency Housing Coalition in San Jose. The 200,000 commuters who pour into the valley each morning suffer some of the nation's worst traffic jams. Drivers steamed through 29,300 hours of daily traffic delays in 1998, says the California Department of Transportation. Because of the dearth of affordable housing in the valley, tens of thousands of workers commute 20 to 100 miles each way to Silicon Valley jobs.