From PCs to supercomputers, software solves problems, eliminates repetitive tasks, and makes businesses run smoother and be more competitive. The companies developing this software are at the leading edge of technology, and more than 1600 are right here in Washington state according to the Department of Revenue. Many local firms are leaders in their markets. And the extent to which they affect the region's economy may come as a surprise. Just 10 years ago, software as an industry hardly existed.
Software helps fuel the state's economy.
Software is clearly a key sector in Washington's economic future, given its job generation capability, high average wages, export orientation, and potential for enhancing the productivity of other industry sectors within the state. The software industry's enormous growth also has a significant magnifier effect. Eastern King County has the highest concentration of software companies per capita in the country. As a clean industry employing highly trained talent, the software industry offers the kind of economic growth worth supporting. Since 1982, Washington has had the fastest rate of growth in software employment of the nation's leading software development states, and software is the fastest growing sector of the state's overall employment picture.