Chapter 3
Employment Trends & Outlook
2024 U.S. Life Sciences Outlook
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Life sciences job growth has slowed to an average of 2,921 per month since July 2022 from more than 10,000 per month in 2021. This slowdown is even more pronounced in the Biotechnology R&D and Pharmaceutical & Medicine Manufacturers sectors (Figure 15), which have been a key source of demand for top-tier lab/R&D space in the U.S. over the past few years.
Figure 15: U.S. Employment by Industry
Despite total life sciences employment continuing to grow, the number of life sciences companies announcing layoffs remains relatively high, although down from earlier in 2023.
While anecdotal evidence and employment data suggest that some of those laid off have been rehired, layoffs picked up again in November 2023.
Figure 16: Number of Life Sciences Companies Announcing Layoffs
A limited amount of life sciences job losses is expected amid an economic slowdown in 2024 (Figure 17). A modest 0.2% drop in life sciences employment in the first half of 2024, followed by mild growth in the second half, should ultimately result in higher life sciences employment at the end of 2024 than in 2023. By comparison, total life sciences employment during the Global Financial Crisis fell by 6.3% and took three years to recover.
Figure 17: Total U.S. Life Sciences Employment Forecast
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CBRE Analysis: Lenders Plan to Further Increase Activity, Office Sector Returns to the Centre of Investor Attention
22 October 2026
The European commercial real estate debt financing market is showing signs of renewed recovery and returning liquidity. According to the latest "European Lender Intentions Survey" conducted by CBRE, the global leader in commercial real estate services, 72% of European lenders plan to increase their volume of new loans this year compared with 2025. Only 7% of respondents expect a decline. The results of the analysis, which also reflect the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, point to a stabilisation of the global outlook and renewed confidence in the real estate market.