Things are looking up in the North Texas real estate market, making the Irving real estate market update look quite impressive. The second-quarter office statistics, which were just released by Cushman & Wakefield of Dallas, Texas, show many reasons to feel hopeful.

Here are the latest numbers:

• The North Texas real estate market absorbed almost three million square feet of office space during the second quarter of 2011. This is a substantial increase when compared to the just 305,709 square feet that was absorbed in during the same time in 2010.

• Although the Dallas real estate market gained 3.6 million square feet, Fort Worth loss 627,940 during the same time. In the second quarter of 2010, Dallas absorbed 410,052 and Fort Worth lost nearly 105,000 square feet.

• The Irving real estate market update for its industrial sector was particularly impressive, with this area absorbing nearly 1.7 million square feet of office space. In addition to the positive numbers for the Irving real estate market update, Inland Port posted absorption of 1.4 million square feet, Garland/Mesquite posted an absorption of 680,000 square feet, and Great Southwest/Centreport posted an absorption of 487,000 square feet.

• The biggest losses in the industrial real estate market are found in Richardson-Plano, with a loss of 356,700 square feet, Valwood, with a loss of 341,195 square feet and South Fort Worth, with a loss of 616,400 square feet.

• Vacancy rates in the second quarter were steady, with 5.8 percent for downtown Dallas, 16.3 percent in GSW/Centreport, and 16.5 percent in Irving/Coppell.

• West Fort Worth posted a low vacancy rate of just 1.6 percent, while Alliance has a vacancy rate of 21.5 percent.

• Overall leasing activity in Dallas was up 11.1 million square feet, compared to the 2010 activity that showed just 6.9 million square feet. Leasing activity includes new leases, expansions and renewals.

• Overall leasing activity in Fort Worth was at 1.2 million square feet, which is an increase when compared to the one million square feet posted during the same time last year.

• The Texas Workforce Commission reported a gain of 4,800 jobs in the manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities sectors.