NEW YORK CITY—Manhattan office leasing activity totaled 2.55 million square feet last month in Manhattan, which was 16% higher than the borough's five-year monthly average, according to a report released today by CBRE Group.

In its Manhattan Office Marketview Snapshot report, the brokerage firm reports that office space absorption remained in positive territory at 130,000 square feet, while Manhattan's availability rate was steady month-over-month at 10.7%.

Year-to-date leasing in Midtown totaled 8.69 million square feet, which is 18% higher than year-to-date leasing for the same period in 2014. The largest transaction in Midtown was the 145,000-square-foot lease deal by Foot Locker at 330 West 34th St. The Midtown office availability rate dropped 40 basis points month-over-month to end May at 10.8% and was 80 basis points lower than the 11.6% rate recorded in May 2014. May's average asking rent in Midtown increased to $77.51-per-square-foot from $76.56-per-square-foot in April. The May asking rent in Midtown was 4% higher than May 2014.