Chicago is emerging as one of the fastest-growing U.S. markets for artificial intelligence hiring, though the increase in AI jobs has not yet translated into a major boost for office leasing.
Chicago ranked behind only New York City and San Francisco for year-over-year growth in AI-related job postings, with nearly 10,000 openings.
The growth spans far beyond technology companies. Employers in finance, healthcare, education and professional services are increasingly seeking workers with AI skills, including experience with large language models, AI platforms and workflow automation, according to BisNow.
Companies including Turing, the University of Chicago, PwC and Accenture recorded some of the largest increases in AI-related hiring. Turing alone added more than 900 additional AI job postings year over year.
AI-related job listings in Chicago climbed 80.6% between 2024 and 2025 and, halfway through 2026, had already exceeded last year’s total.
AI Office Footprints Continue Growing
Nationally, AI companies occupied 9.2 million square feet of office space by the second quarter, according to VTS. In Chicago, AI firms accounted for roughly 308,000 square feet.
Interest from AI companies is also increasing. Building tours by AI-focused prospective tenants across the U.S. rose 85% through May, with Chicago among the markets seeing growing activity.
Hiring Growth Doesn’t Guarantee More Leasing
Despite strong hiring momentum, analysts caution that more AI jobs do not automatically lead to greater office demand.
Chicago has now recorded six consecutive quarters of growth in office-using employment, with second-quarter gains estimated at 15% to 20% from the previous quarter. Nationally, office-using employment is about 10% above 2019 levels.
Still, previous technology booms generated much larger office expansions than companies occupy today, and current AI hiring has not produced a clear leasing pattern.
Researchers say AI recruitment is growing across industries, but office demand remains dependent on how individual companies choose to use workplace space rather than hiring alone.
