Officials from IBM recently announced that the company intends to add 1,000 new jobs at its downtown Tulsa location. Primarily finance and information technology positions, the new jobs will have an average compensation of $40,000-$95,000, resulting in an annual payroll increase of more than $75 million when all of the jobs are filled.

The projected additions will bring IBM's Tulsa office work force, from more than 900 in June 2004, to more than 2,000 by 2009. IBM will receive $35.2 million in incentives from the state of Oklahoma's Quality Jobs Program over a 10-year period if it grows as planned.

An analysis by IBM of its current local economic and social impact in Tulsa showed that the company is a top-15 corporate employer and a top-20 overall employer in the city, based upon number of employees.

"As a member of the Tulsa business community since 1930, we believe it's important for us to understand our economica and social impact in the community," said Harold Briggs, IBM's senior location executive for Tulsa. "This allows us to ensure we're investing properly in our own business here and contributing to the community as we grow in the coming years."

According to Tulsa MEtro Chamber Economist Bob Ball, the 1,000 new positions IBM will create in the city means the economy can support 842 additional indirect jobs. Together, these jobs will benefit our economy bymore than $148 million annually in total household income.

IBM is the world's largest information technolgy company with 319,000 employees in 170 countries. Measure by revenue, it is the largest provider of IT services, hardware, rental and financing, and is the second largest provider of software worldwide.

The company's presence in Tulsa dates back to 1930 and has grown steadily since then, expanding rapidly in 2002 when it purchased PricewaterhouseCoopers' consulting arm. IBM's finance and accounting outsourcing practice doubled the number of clients served last year and is the primary source of its growth in Tulsa.