A new report on tech talent shows the Valley is moving up.
CBRE, a commercial real estate and investment firm, produces an annual ranking of 50 markets based on their ability to attract and grow tech talent. Metro Phoenix climbed two spots this year to No. 15.
Tech labor makes up four percent of the Valley’s total employment, half a percent higher than the national average. Tech workers are the people developing software and managing the data and systems we rely on across every industry.
Between 2012 and 2016, CBRE said Phoenix added nearly 25,000 tech degrees, but only added about half as many tech jobs. While the talent surplus can force some grads to leave Arizona, it’s also attractive to companies looking to expand.
In compiling its rankings, CBRE used 13 metrics including talent supply, growth, and office and apartment rents.
It found the Phoenix population of millennials in their 20’s grew 6.4 percent between 2011 and 2016 compared to the national average of 3.7 percent.
The report lists the top tech talent markets as San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C., Toronto and New York.
