With SEMICON West moving to Phoenix this October, Arizona is reinforcing its position as a major center for semiconductor activity. Backed by long-term investments and state partnerships, the event will put workforce development and supply chain resilience at the forefront. The addition of a dedicated hiring pavilion reflects the growing competition for engineering talent. In parallel, Micron’s expansion in Boise, supported by over six billion dollars in federal funding, is expected to generate fifteen thousand new jobs. Local infrastructure questions remain, especially around housing for incoming workers.
Outside the United States, governments are pushing to localize high value semiconductor capabilities. In Glasgow, Neuranics will establish a new magnetic sensor fabrication facility, the first of its kind in the UK. It is expected to create over one hundred skilled jobs and secure domestic control over critical IP. Canada, meanwhile, is dealing with challenges around ownership and commercialization. While companies like Astera Labs and Siemens EDA continue to hire and train design talent, recent acquisitions of Canadian startups by US firms raise questions about long-term ecosystem growth and retention.
Despite large capital projects, layoffs continue across the broader tech sector. Intel alone is cutting over twenty one thousand jobs, the largest reduction announced this year. Companies are reallocating resources toward AI and embedded systems, but the pace and scale of the cuts highlight the volatility facing both technical and nontechnical roles. For engineers navigating this space, the contrast between regional investment and global workforce reduction presents an increasingly uneven landscape.
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