Article
3 Takeaways From CBRE’s Latest ‘Scoring Tech Talent’ Report
August 31, 2026 5 Minute Read
Eight Canadian cities rank among the Top 50 North American tech employment markets in CBRE’s latest Scoring Tech Talent report, with an unprecedented six of them in the Top 15.
CBRE’s annual report analyzes 75 markets in the U.S. and Canada, ranking the top 50 markets and 25 emerging markets to watch and outlining tech labour market trends.
Toronto held onto the No. 3 spot in this year’s ranking, followed by Vancouver (No. 9), Waterloo Region (No. 10), Montreal (No. 11), Ottawa (No. 14) and Calgary (No. 15). Quebec City (No. 37) and Edmonton (No. 42) also made the list.
“Having six markets in the Top 15 and eight cities in the Top 50 is impressive for a country our size,” says CBRE Canada Research Managing Director Marc Meehan. “Tech employment growth is resurgent and Canadian markets are leading the way forward.”
Here are three key takeaways from the report.
Canadian Cities Make Impressive Gains
Canadian tech employment grew by 7.6%, with a staggering 91,300 new jobs added in 2025 alone.
Toronto added 75,000 tech jobs between 2022 and 2025, more than any other tech talent market in North America. Canada’s largest city also reported one of the highest growth rates for tech talent workforce, at 26.5% since 2022.
Vancouver boasts the second highest concentration of tech talent in North America after the San Francisco Bay Area. Montreal moved up the most of any Canadian market in the ranking this year, growing its tech workforce by 4.3% since 2022 for a total tech talent pool of 176,900 workers.
AI Drives Tech Growth and Office Leasing
Demand for AI-related skills has increased the size of the AI workforce by 45% to 751,000 employees in both Canada and the U.S. as of mid-2026. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have the highest concentrations of AI talent in Canada, representing 60% of the total AI worker pool.
AI has also become a major source of economic growth and real estate demand. Tech companies accounted for 21% of total U.S. and Canadian office leasing activity in the first half of 2026, up from 13% in 2023.
AI-related companies have substantially grown their real estate portfolios to accommodate rapid workforce growth and full-time work from the office. Though tech employers are optimizing office space strategies, many have maintained their portfolio size to accommodate large team meetings and collaboration spaces.
Tech Opportunity Knocks In Halifax, London and Winnipeg
As the role of technology in businesses and society has caused a global expansion of tech talent labour pools, smaller markets have experienced notable tech talent growth, as well.
Halifax was ranked the No. 2 opportunity market in North America after Huntsville, AL, employing 20,300 tech workers in 2025. The city has seen a 19.4% tech employment growth rate since 2022, and the highest tech wage growth among opportunity markets, at 21.1%.
London, Ont., was the No. 5 opportunity market, with 19,300 tech workers and a 16.3% growth rate over the past three years. Winnipeg is listed as the No. 11 opportunity market, recording 14.8% tech job growth since 2022 for a total tech talent pool of 23,300 workers.
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