The East Bay economy and job market turned in a solid performance during 2015, marking an upswing that is expected to continue thanks in large measure to the region’s edge in office costs and housing prices, according to a new forecast released Thursday.

“Office space is cheaper, the environment is good, housing is less expensive and companies are coming to the East Bay,” said Christopher Thornberg, principal executive with Beacon Economics, which presented its study to the East Bay Economic Development Alliance.

The East Bay, consisting of Alameda County and Contra Costa County, last year added 30,000 jobs, which produced a 2.8 percent increase in jobs compared with 2014.

The region’s pace of job creation nearly matched California’s 3 percent increase during the same period and far outpaced the national job growth rate of 1.9 percent, according to official government statistics.

“Economic growth in the East Bay is expected to remain strong in 2016, building on the gains achieved in 2015,” Beacon’s report said.

However, both Santa Clara County and the San Francisco-San Mateo region grew more rapidly last year. The job market grew by 4.2 percent in Santa Clara County and by 4.4 percent in the San Francisco-San Mateo area.

Major hiring booms by big Silicon Valley companies such as Cupertino-based Apple and Mountain View-based Google, coupled with expansions of Facebook in Menlo Park, along with a tech boom in San Francisco, have caused the economy to surge. That’s led to a spike in home prices and a steady increase in the price of office space.

As a result, some tech companies, such as Uber, have eyed the East Bay for their expansion efforts.

“We want to be more than the second option for San Francisco and Silicon Valley. We want to become the place of choice because the East Bay is such a good place to do business,” said Darien Louie, executive director of the East Bay Economic Development Alliance.

Uber Technologies, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, has bought a big office and retail complex in downtown Oakland that will serve as co-headquarters for the ride-hailing service. Other high-profile tech companies such as Pandora Media and Sungevity are based in downtown Oakland.

In the technology sector, computer systems design and related services generated 2,100 East Bay jobs over the 12 months that ended in February, according to Beacon.

Other tech industries, notably the Tesla Motors factory in Fremont, are rising in the East Bay.

“The East Bay is one of the major hubs in the United States for biotechnology and clean energy,” Beacon reported.

A growing number of residents of the East Bay have found work in Alameda County or Contra Costa County. An estimated 36.7 percent of the area’s residents also work in the East Bay, a slight dip from 37.8 percent a year ago.

“The future of the East Bay is looking bright, and Beacon Economics forecasts that payroll employment will grow at roughly 2 percent during 2016,” the report said.

Contact George Avalos at 408-859-5167. Follow him at Twitter.com/georgeavalos.