This week, Amazon announced it's laying off 16,000 employees. 

It’s part two of a continued downsizing Amazon started in October, when it laid of 14,000 employees. Taken together, this is Amazon’s biggest reduction in force ever. This week's layoffs are also the latest in a series of tech downsizings over the past few years that have pushed Seattle’s unemployment rate well above the national rate.  

On today's episode, is Seattle facing a tech recession?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

This week, Amazon <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-layoffs-corporate-jan-2026">announced </a>it's laying off 16,000 employees.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s part two of a continued downsizing Amazon started in October, when it laid of 14,000 employees. Taken together, this is Amazon&rsquo;s biggest reduction in force ever. This week's layoffs are also the latest in a series of tech downsizings over the past few years that have pushed Seattle&rsquo;s unemployment rate well above the national rate.&nbsp;&nbsp;
On today's episode, is Seattle facing a tech recession?
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

It's the latest in a series of tech layoffs over the past few years that have pushed Seattle’s unemployment rate well above the national rate.  

16,000 Amazon employees just lost their jobs. Are we in a tech recession?

Data centers needed more space, so they literally moved there. 

This week, Elon Musk announced he has merged his rocket company, Space X – with his AI company, xAI. The reason? He wants to build AI data centers in space. 

But his company is not the only one that wants to take the cloud... off the planet. Various companies from Google to Blue Origin to smaller startups are looking to Earth's orbit as the next data center frontier. And companies in Seattle are leading the charge.

Today, how close are we to actually putting data centers in space? And why would you want to? 

GUEST:
Dr. Saadia Pekkanen, professor of Law, International Studies and Political Science at the University of Washington

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Coming up:  Have you been laid off from a tech company in the last couple of years? We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at (206) 221-7158 and leave a voicemail with your hacks-- it could be featured on an upcoming episode. You can also email us at booming@kuow.org.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Data centers needed more space, so they literally moved there.&nbsp;
This week, Elon Musk announced he has merged his rocket company, Space X &ndash; with his AI company, xAI. The reason? He wants to build AI data centers in space.&nbsp;
But his company is not the only one that wants to take the cloud... off the planet.&nbsp;Various companies from Google to Blue Origin to smaller startups are looking to Earth's orbit as the next data center frontier. And companies in Seattle are leading the charge.
Today, how close are we to actually putting data centers in space?&nbsp;And why would&nbsp;you&nbsp;want&nbsp;to?&nbsp; GUEST: <a href="https://substack.com/@spacediplomacy">Dr. Saadia Pekkanen</a>, professor of Law, International Studies and Political Science at the University of Washington
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>.
Coming up:  Have you been laid off from a tech company in the last couple of years? We'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at <a href="tel:2062217158" data-stringify-link="tel:2062217158" data-sk="tooltip_parent">(206) 221-7158</a> and leave a voicemail with your hacks-- it could be featured on an upcoming episode. You can also email us at <a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Data centers needed more space, so they literally moved there.

The great data center space race

The cost of child care is at an all-time high. The typical American family with young kids now spends more on child care than housing.

In most of the developed world, the government pays for child care so parents can work and contribute to the economy. But free, universal child care is nearly unheard of in the U.S.  

At least it was until a few months ago. In November, New Mexico became the first state to launch free, universal child care.

On today's episode, what can Washington learn from a state that managed to pull it off?

GUEST:
Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary for New Mexico's Early Childhood Education and Care Department

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

The cost of child care is at an all-time high.&nbsp;The typical American family&nbsp;with young kids&nbsp;<a href="https://www.childcareaware.org/thechildcarestandstill/#:~:text=Although%20child%20care%20price%20increases,based%20care%20for%20two%20children.">now spends more on child care than housing</a>.
In most of the developed world, the government pays for child care so parents can work and contribute to the economy. But free, universal child care is nearly unheard of in the U.S.&nbsp;&nbsp;
At least it&nbsp;was&nbsp;until a few months ago. In November, New Mexico became the first state to launch free, universal child care.
On today's episode, what can Washington learn from a state that managed to pull it off? GUEST: Elizabeth Groginsky, Cabinet Secretary for New Mexico's Early Childhood Education and Care Department Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

In November, New Mexico became the first state to launch free, universal child care.  So what can Washington learn from the state that managed to pull it off? 

Lessons from the state that made child care free

According to a Harvard economist, spending on data centers and artificial intelligence accounted for 92% of U.S. economic growth in the first half of last year.   

That's fueled speculation that we’re in an AI bubble, because spending on that level doesn’t feel sustainable. If the bubble pops and the spending stops, the shockwave could hit all of us. Past economic collapses led to bankruptcies, lost retirement savings, and disappearing jobs. 

But sometimes, the crash leaves something good behind... that we may not fully appreciate for years. 

This week, we look at bubbles from the past and ask: When the money burns away, what’s left? 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

According to a Harvard economist, spending on data centers and artificial intelligence accounted for 92% of U.S. economic growth in the first half of last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That's fueled speculation that we&rsquo;re in an AI bubble, because spending on that level doesn&rsquo;t feel sustainable. If the bubble pops and the spending stops, the shockwave could hit all of us. Past economic collapses led to bankruptcies, lost retirement savings, and disappearing jobs.&nbsp;
But sometimes,&nbsp;the&nbsp;crash&nbsp;leaves something&nbsp;good&nbsp;behind... that we may not fully appreciate for years.&nbsp;
This week, we look at bubbles from the past and ask: When the money burns away,&nbsp;what&rsquo;s&nbsp;left?&nbsp;
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to <a href="http://kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes</a>. Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Sometimes, an economic crash leaves something good behind that we may not appreciate for years.   This week, we look at bubbles from the past and ask: When the money burns away, what’s left? 

16,000 Amazon employees just lost their jobs. Are we in a tech recession?

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