Soaring demand for administrative-caliber workers in Boston and Washington, D.C. indicates the competition for who will host Amazon's second headquarters will come down to those two metropolises, an economic think tank predicts.

New York-based The Conference Board found Amazon focused 760 online help-wanted ads in Boston last year "for headquarter caliber occupations," while 887 similar ads targeted the Washington, D.C., area, including Virginia and Maryland.

For Boston, the flood of job ads marked a 32-percent uptick over 2016.

New York led all major locations with 937 ads; however, that was only a 2-percent growth over 2016, The Conference Board reports.

"Given the relatively large number of ads for headquarter caliber occupations and the growth rate in those ads, the Washington, DC metro area and Boston seem the most likely candidates for a second headquarters," the board said.

"Amazon’s current footprint in these cities could ease the hiring of 50,000 new employees and growing demand signals their desire to increase their presence. This is potentially indicative of a labor market suitable for a second Amazon headquarters," the report adds.

It went on to say: "While DC and Boston seem most likely to win, Amazon’s decision to open the bidding process widely has provided cities that may ultimately fall short the chance to position themselves as having a tech friendly environment. All cities on the shortlist likely possess many of the key attributes Amazon seeks. Win or lose, they are able to promote and advertise themselves as a good location for start-ups and technology companies looking to expand or relocate."

Another reason for Boston to rise above the rest: The Conference Board said, "According to Amazon, jobs for HQ2 will fall under management, engineering (preference for software development), legal, accounting, and administrative type occupations. To help attract this level of talent, Amazon is seeking a city with a 'strong university system' and an abundance of recreational opportunities."