Airbnb signs big lease in Santa Clara, sets stage for major Silicon Valley job hub

San Francisco-based Airbnb could potentially employ 1,500 people in the two office buildings, based on typical ratios for employees per square foot.

Tech companies based in San Francisco have at times leased big chunks of office space in Silicon Valley in a quest to place operations closer to where skilled tech workers reside.

Splunk has established a big employment hub in two large office buildings at San Jose’s Santana Row, while Uber has leased two big office buildings in Sunnyvale.

Experts believe the Airbnb leasing deal is just the latest sign that the Silicon Valley office market, bolstered by a hot employment sector, remains robust.