Chicago Job Growth, Once Slow, Speeding Up
Simply Hired Staff
While the rest of the U.S. has been enjoying recent robust economic growth, Chicago, the Windy City, has been slower to get on its feet. But things are starting to change next to Lake Michigan. February 2015 marked another month of positive job growth in the Chicago area and across most of the U.S. Job postings increased 2.47% in February 2015 with Dallas and Cleveland enjoying the largest month-over-month gains.
“The Simply Hired Employment Outlook shows solid 2.47% growth in U.S. job listings in February 2015 with every area of the country posting increases,” said James Beriker, President and CEO of Simply Hired. “Job inventory continues to remain highest in healthcare, and we see healthcare employers heavily represented among the top posting companies in major metro regions.”
Although jobs have not materializing in the Chicago metro area as fast as some others, the area is now seeing growth. It’s already been reported that even back in 2013 the Chicago area added some 500,000+ high paying factory jobs, trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
But as the New York Times observed last month, jobs are increasing in the urban center while declining in suburban Chicago areas. More businesses are choosing downtown locations, which is exciting, as urban jobs tend to be higher skilled and pay higher wages. Site Selection magazine agrees, recently naming Chicago the top location for corporate expansion and relocation. Signals abound that the Chicago’s slow recover is picking up. “Companies are pretty bullish,” says Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of Chicago-based recruiting and placement firm LaSalle Network. “People are making money in Chicago.”
Simply Hired’s data shows high-skill high-wage jobs are increasing in Chicago, with Financial Services leading all industries in job postings, with nearly 13,000 jobs currently available. Top posting companies in Chicago include Advocate Health Care, PwC, Oracle, Presence Healthcare, and Allstate.
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