Atlanta continues to deepen its skilled workforce. Reinforced by record university enrollment and a population where roughly 40 percent hold a bachelor’s degree, Atlanta is drawing investments like AIG’s new Brookhaven innovation hub. Local businesses are increasingly capturing this talent, supporting firms already rooted in the metro. Together, with a limited supply pipeline, aggregate vacancy is expected to compress slightly to the mid-18 percent range. On the other hand, net absorption will moderate, though it will still exceed historical norms, bolstered by company expansions, such as Mercedes-Benz’s “1MB” North America HQ. Many of these growth initiatives will continue to favor the suburbs, where vacancy should stay below 17 percent amid limited new supply. The CBD, by contrast, will still face elevated local vacancy, as about a third of the estimated 600,000 square feet set to deliver here remained unaccounted for entering the year.

Key findings from the report include:

• The metro’s labor force will increase by 19,000 roles this year. About 4,500 of those come from traditional office-using sectors — a solid rebound after roughly 3,000 jobs were shed last year.
• Northwest Atlanta and North Fulton are expected to receive the most suburban deliveries, while the CBD will account for roughly half of all metro completions.
• Demand will outpace new supply, pushing vacancy down to 18.5 percent — the lowest level since mid-2022 — placing Atlanta near the median among all primary metros.
• Atlanta’s average asking rent edges up to $28.10 per square foot, marking the 15th consecutive year of rent growth, even as net absorption retreats below last year’s high.

Download the full report here.