The Savills A&E Talent Index analyses the world's leading industry hubs, ranking them according to labour pool depth and quality, alongside a broad set of talent attraction factors. It considers labour market scale, the strength of education and research institutions, and the maturity of sector ecosystems, as well as salary competitiveness, cost of living and broader lifestyle appeal.

Across North America, New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Boston consistently rank among the most attractive hubs globally. Their strength lies in the combination of large, specialised labour pools, top salary levels and dense concentrations of leading A&E firms. These advantages are reinforced by world-class universities and research institutions, which provide a continuous pipeline of talent and underpin innovation. However, elevated living costs weigh negatively on the overall rankings of New York City and San Francisco.

The index also highlights an evolving North American talent landscape. A growing cohort of secondary cities, including Dallas, Austin, Denver, Nashville, Salt Lake City and Atlanta, is gaining momentum. These markets benefit from rapid population growth and a lower cost of living, which enhances their appeal to mobile talent, particularly mid-career professionals. While their labour pools remain smaller than those of established hubs, their growing sector ecosystems suggest increasing long-term competitiveness. In Canada, Toronto performs strongly, supported by leading universities and a diverse, internationally connected workforce.

In Europe, London, Zurich and Oslo feature within the top 15 ranking. These cities combine established design and engineering heritage with strong education systems and internationally connected professional networks. London stands out for its excellent academic and research institutions across relevant disciplines, as well as a depth of innovative and leading firms in both engineering and architecture. London also benefits from attractive lifestyle factors, although its overall ranking is constrained by a high cost of living, which weakens its talent attraction score.

Nordic cities such as Stockholm and Helsinki perform well due to a more balanced proposition: high-quality education, sustained government investment in the sector and comparatively affordable living costs. These markets, together with Oslo, have developed particular strength in sustainable design, with concentrations of specialist skills in low-carbon construction, timber engineering and circular economy principles. Berlin and Paris offer deep labour pools supported by strong academic institutions and lifestyle appeal, reinforcing their ability to attract and retain international talent.

Asia Pacific features prominently in the index, with Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong ranking highly. Singapore stands out for the strength of its education base and the maturity of its A&E ecosystem, although elevated living costs temper its overall performance.

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