Last week, Google announced that it had hired over 780 new employees in the first quarter of 2010, amid a 37% increase in earnings. Other companies that indicated they were hiring ranged from giants like Intel and Cisco to smaller outfits like Twitter and LinkedIn. Some big local companies that are still shedding jobs include HP and Oracle, both of which are consolidating recent major accquisitions. On balance, the job market for skilled workers remains better in Silicon Valley than virtually anywhere else in the country.