Friends vs. neighbors

Money and jobs abound in Silicon Valley for people with the right high-tech or business skills. For those who don't, the Great Recession has meant the same challenge as anywhere else in the country.

Those disparities stem partly from the complicated histories of the small cities that span the Highway 101 corridor threading through the heart of Silicon Valley, and partly from national economic trends that have spared few struggling communities. They as well reflect some changes unparalleled to the most recent tech boom, fueled by social media, cloud computing and mobile apps.

In the past, companies like Hewlett-Packard Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. brought mid-level jobs to Silicon Valley along with the expected science, engineering and management positions, Hancock said. However globalization has sent the manufacturing jobs overseas. In the meantime, information research has made once-plentiful clerical and office positions obsolete.