CBRE report finds AI is not a major threat to U.S. office employment, projects vacancy decline to 14.5% by 2031

CBRE Research released a report analyzing AI's impact on U.S. office demand, concluding that AI is not a major threat to office-using employment. The report forecasts office-using employment will grow 0.9% annually over five years, outpacing the broader economy's 0.6% growth, and projects the overall U.S. office vacancy rate will decline from 18.3% to 14.5% by year-end 2031. For a financial institution, this suggests that AI-driven changes in work patterns may support, rather than undermine, the value of prime office assets and related credit exposures.