It’s no secret that industrial remains one of the strongest commercial sectors. For more proof? Just look at the rise in industrial jobs posted in the Chicago area.
In a recent Data Bites report, Avison Young reported that in the first quarter of 2025, the Chicago MSA recorded nearly 39,000 industrial job postings. That’s an increase of 20% when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
Avison Young says that this surge reflects strong employer confidence within the Chicago-area industrial market.
Which industrial sectors saw the greatest growth in job postings? Wholesale trade job postings rose 29% in the first quarter of this year from the last quarter of 2024 to lead the way. Manufacturing job postings followed with a jump of 19%, while transportation and warehousing job postings increased by 10% when compared to the fourth quarter of last year.
Companies that posted the greatest number of industrial job openings in the first quarter included ULINE, Compass Group and Staples, Avison Young reported.
Seeing ULINE on this list isn’t surprising. The company recently announced its plans to build a 1.2-million-square-foot distribution facility just over the Illinois border in Kenosha, Wisconsin, near where it recently opened a 1.4-million-square-foot warehouse.
