Office vacancies in Los Angeles County continued to shrink during the second quarter as white-collar businesses expanded at a slow, steady rate, according to data released Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Businesses are beefing up gradually because “the economy has been good but not great,” said Joe Vargas of Cushman & Wakefield, the real estate brokerage that compiled the data. “It all speaks to a very healthy office market.”

The county’s overall vacancy rate was 9.2% in the second quarter, down from 11% a year earlier. Average asking rents rose 14% to $2.53 per square foot per month.

But rents were substantially higher in certain sought-after markets such as Santa Monica and Westwood, where they exceeded $4.32 per square foot.

Rent increases, especially on the Westside, are going to get even steeper for at least the rest of the year, Vargas predicted. With buildings filling up and little new office construction underway, landlords will take the opportunity to boost rates.

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