New York City’s office market has surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area in housing the largest number of tech workers, driven primarily by the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). A recent analysis by CBRE reveals that New York is home to 394,300 tech talent jobs, compared to the Bay Area’s 375,730. This marks the first time in 13 years that New York has claimed the top spot in this sector.
The influx of AI talent in New York has been attributed to ongoing reductions in the workforce within the Bay Area, which had traditionally dominated the tech landscape. Colin Yasukochi, executive director of CBRE’s Tech Insights Center, notes that many finance firms in New York have actively recruited tech and AI specialists, contributing to the city’s growth in this area.
The report highlights a significant surge in AI-specific roles in both the U.S. and Canada, with a 45% increase over the past year. Since mid-2025, both New York and San Francisco have added more than 20,000 AI jobs. Currently, AI-related positions make up nearly a third of all tech job listings across the U.S., amounting to a total of 751,000 workers in both nations.
Despite concerns that AI might reduce overall employment and demand for office space, this trend has not materialized in the short term. Instead, AI is reshaping existing roles and generating new job opportunities, particularly within the finance sector. Consequently, office leasing has seen a resurgence, especially in cities with high demand for AI talent, such as San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston, and Seattle.
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