Atlanta's professional service firm industry is overwhelmingly office intown. That's the conclusion of a study conducted by CBRE, which shows that over the past decade, professional service jobs grew by 17% to more than 3.5 million today in Buckhead, Midtown, and Downtown Atlanta, encompassing more than 10M SF. And of that, 66% of the jobs are centered in Midtown. (Even more reason you should take MARTA.) According to CBRE, the trend demonstrates how professional service firms are flocking to the CBD in response to what young professionals desire in a workplace: An urban environment close to amenities and housing.

"Employers are wooing these young professionals by locating in trendy urban centers that offer a stimulating mix of residential options, shopping and entertainment in a walkable landscape," CBRE officials state in the paper. (You'd think young people would be a cheap date.) "The employers that fail to accommodate these new work preferences risk difficulty hiring and retaining the best talent." But it's not entirely the CBD that professional service firms are locating. CBRE also notes that Central Perimeter commands 3.8 million professional service jobs, a 374,000 jump in jobs since 2000.