Waterloo Region among top tech job markets: report
Posted Aug 18, 2026 07:32:13 AM.
Last Updated Aug 18, 2026 07:40:08 AM.
CBRE is out with its latest ranking of the top 50 tech employment markets in North America, with a heavy focus on artificial intelligence (AI), and its impact on the job market.
Waterloo Region is once again near the top of the list, rounding out the top 10 when it comes to tech talent.
The report highlighted a big industry shift to AI, with AI-related jobs growing 45 per cent year-over-year.
“In Canada, the concentration of AI jobs is even greater, with 60% of AI jobs based in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver,” read the report.
“Canadian cities are at the forefront of AI adoption,” said CBRE Canada Research Managing Director Marc Meehan.
“Canada has been the dominant growth story for tech talent over the past five years, with many U.S. and Canadian tech firms tapping into the high quality and comparatively affordable talent on offer here. Tech employment growth is resurgent and Canadian markets are leading the way forward.”
This does mean however, that as AI-related jobs are being added, non-AI-related jobs are being cut. This has especially been the case with American companies.
“Job growth tied to AI will influence most commercial real estate sectors, from offices to data centers to multifamily,” said John Morris, CBRE Group President of Advisory Leasing in the U.S. and Canada.
“Inevitably, some jobs will be eliminated over time as AI takes on more routine tasks. But CBRE’s view is that AI will change job composition more than it will overall job count.”
Eight Canadian cities made the top 50 tech talent mentions including Toronto (3), Vancouver (9), Montreal (11), Ottawa (14), Calgary (15), Quebec City (37) and Edmonton (42).
Halifax, London and Winnipeg were all mentioned in the group’s ranking of North America’s emerging tech markets.
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