WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship released the following statement applauding a recent report by Software.org: the BSA Foundation highlighting Nevada as the state with the highest growth of software jobs in the nation in 2019.
“Nevada’s technology sector is quickly growing into one of the premier hiring industries in the United States,” said Senator Rosen. “Through education and workforce development, we are creating a well-trained and highly skilled people pipeline that is capable of meeting the needs of a 21st century economy. I will continue to support forward-thinking initiatives and legislation that supports Nevada workers and ensures that they are prepared to succeed in the jobs of the future.”
“Software creates jobs in every state and every economic sector—and twice as fast as the national average,” said Victoria Espinel, President of Software.org: the BSA Foundation and President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. “Now, we have to ensure that anyone who wants a software job can get one, regardless of their gender, race, or where they live.”
BACKGROUND: Software related jobs are growing twice as fast as any other sector in the United States, with 1 in 10 jobs related to software. Currently, 45,461 Nevadans are employed in the software industry, a 35.6% increase since 2016. This job growth correlates to a $4 billion direct GDP contribution.
In March, Senator Rosen introduced her bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act, legislation that would create and expand upon STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation (NSF) for young children, including new research grants to increase the participation of girls in computer science. The bill passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in May and is poised to be considered on the Senate floor later this Congress.
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