New York Surpasses Bay Area as Largest Tech Talent Market

New York has surpassed the San Francisco Bay Area as the largest market for tech talent for the first time in 13 years. According to a report by CBRE, New York's tech workforce grew to 394,300, while the Bay Area's workforce declined to 375,730.

The shift follows a 6% contraction in the Bay Area's workforce between 2022 and 2025 driven by mass layoffs. Simultaneously, New York's finance sector aggressively hired AI and tech talent to bolster its operations. Despite New York's lead in total volume, San Francisco maintains its position as the leader in AI-specific roles and overall market ranking on the CBRE scorecard.

AI-related roles grew by 45% across the United States and Canada over the past year. This surge fueled office leasing activity in Manhattan, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco, with AI companies accounting for 58% of all leasing in the first half of 2026. Colin Yasukochi, Executive Director of CBRE's Tech Insights Center, noted that the tech industry has contracted in the Bay Area while the New York finance sector has absorbed much of that talent.