Vancouver Tech Sector Adds 14,000 Jobs as AI Investment Surges 80 Percent

Metro Vancouver's technology sector added 14,200 net new jobs in the past twelve months, driven almost entirely by artificial intelligence and machine learning investment that grew 80 percent year-over-year to reach $3.1 billion.

The figures, compiled by the BC Tech Association, place Vancouver among the top five AI research hubs in North America — ahead of Boston and Seattle — as international firms race to establish a presence in the city.

A key driver has been the University of British Columbia's Vector Institute partnership, which has produced more AI PhDs than any Canadian institution outside Toronto, creating a dense local talent pool that companies increasingly prefer over remote hiring.

"The infrastructure is now here," said Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes, who recently launched an AI-focused venture fund based in Yaletown. "You have the research, the talent pipeline, the quality of life, and now the capital. That combination is very hard to replicate."

Housing costs remain the sector's most frequently cited risk, with 67 percent of tech employers in a recent survey saying affordability was making it harder to attract workers from outside BC.