Monica Nickelsburg
AI & Economy Reporter
About
Monica Nickelsburg covers artificial intelligence, tech, and the local economy in the Pacific Northwest.
Monica came to KUOW in 2023. Before that, she spent six years covering the intersection of technology and politics for GeekWire and worked as a digital producer for The Week.
Monica grew up in Los Angeles and got her B.A. in Journalism and History from New York University before landing in Seattle.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: she/her
Podcasts
Stories
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The great data center space race
Data centers needed more space, so they literally moved there.
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Amazon layoffs include more than 2,000 jobs in Seattle area
The impacts of Amazon’s latest mass layoffs are starting to come into focus for the Seattle area, while other local companies also cut jobs.
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16,000 Amazon employees just lost their jobs. Are we in a tech recession?
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.
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Amazon lays off 16,000 employees in major reduction of force
Amazon told about 16,000 corporate employees they’ll soon be out of a job early Wednesday morning. It’s part two of a 30,000-person layoff the company began in October. Taken together, it’s the largest layoff in the e-commerce giant’s history, and it marks a dramatic shift in the tech industry from a decade-long talent war to the artificial intelligence race.
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Tech layoffs drive Seattle-area unemployment above 5%
The first major tech layoff of 2026 hit Seattle-area workers at Meta this week. About 330 roles at the social networking giant were eliminated, according to a filing with the Washington Employment Security Department. It’s the latest in a series of tech layoffs, and more cuts are expected across the industry in the coming weeks.
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Lessons from the state that made child care free
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?
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How a bad bet built the internet: a short history of bubbles
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?
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A small town in Central Washington is Microsoft's answer to the data center backlash
Quincy is a small farming town in Central Washington near the Columbia River, home to one of the world’s top french fry producers. It’s also the model for Microsoft’s nationwide data center strategy.
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WA Gov. Bob Ferguson calls for regulations on AI chatbot companions
About one-third of U.S. teens report relying on an AI chatbot for emotional support. That trend has Washington state regulators sounding alarm bells.
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Housing costs dropped in Austin. How they did the impossible
Over the last few years, Austin's average rent fell. So what is Austin doing right? And what could Seattle learn from it?
