Chicago REAL Professionals welcomed guest speakers Cassandra Wirth and Paul LaPorte from the Midwest Bureau of Labor Statistics. The presentation shared an analysis of employment data that preceded the recession in 2007 and compared it with the data of today. A few takeaways included:

• Chicago’s unemployment rate is in line with national statistics.
• Chicago has 61,000 fewer jobs than it did in January 2007 prior to the recession.
• Industries that have shown the greatest recovery include construction and the financial sector. Despite the progress, construction has 39,000 fewer jobs and the financial sector needs another 21,000 jobs to get back to pre-recession numbers.
• Industries projected to see the greatest increase in the next 10 years are healthcare and social assistance; no surprise given the aging population. Next highest increase will come in construction.
• Fastest growing jobs are in the alternative energy sector (solar / wind turbine).