The good news from Google is traveling fast. Farzin Mirzaagha is not wasting any time in applying for one of Google's job openings. He has been out of work since June and has a background in engineering and project management.
"Looking at a few positions that I think I may have some qualifications, experience to offer," he said.
The world's dominant search engine issued a statement saying, "Google is aggressively hiring across the board with a focus in sales and engineering."
The Mountain View company is in a talent war with Facebook, Twitter and others. The company recently announced a 10 percent pay raise and bonuses for all of its more than 23,000 employees.
For engineers especially, the bidding wars are back. A Google recruitment video emphasizes a stimulating, fun work environment with perks.
The Employment Development Department says in the Bay Area, engineers are among the fastest growing occupations. In the San Francisco region, the 10-year projected job growth is 25 to 45 percent, depending on specific engineering expertise.
"We verified that though our surveys that yes, there is a demand for engineering and it is all over the Bay Area, really," EDD labor market analyst Janice Shriver said.
As the economy slowly recovers from a recession, Farzin and many others hope Google's hiring announcement has a ripple effect.
"We need more industry leaders such as Google to basically inject some confidence into the market and boost the economy," Farzin said.
The demand for engineers at Google and elsewhere is great for the economy because good paying jobs have a multiplier effect when those salaries are spread through the area by way of things like shopping, home construction projects and dining out.
Last quarter, Google hired 1,500 people.
