DuPage County: Open for Business and Continuing to Thrive

Choose DuPage Economic Indicators Report

2017 Economic Indicators Showcase DuPage as Premier Business Location in Chicagoland Region

The findings from Choose DuPage’s 2017 Annual Economic Indicators Report confirms DuPage County’s economy is stronger than ever. Data suggests DuPage County offers a business-friendly environment for a variety of industry sectors including healthcare and manufacturing. While the state and surrounding communities continue to navigate struggles with high taxes, pension challenges and a hostile business climate, the findings in Choose DuPage’s report reinforce DuPage County’s attractiveness for business development as well as quality of life.

2017 Economic Indicators Report Highlights:

  • Closing out the year, DuPage County had the lowest unemployment rate in the Chicagoland six-county region at 3.8%, lower than both the State of Illinois (4.7%) and United States (3.9%).
  • DuPage County’s top job opportunities were reported to be in the computer and mathematical fields, office and administrative support, management, healthcare, sales, business and financial operations.  
  • Office vacancy rates dropped from 17.2% at the end of 2016 to 15.8% at the end of 2017; Industrial vacancy rates dropped from 5.3% this time last year, to 5.1%. DuPage County continues to have one of the lowest industrial vacancy rates in the region.

“In addition to Amita Health relocating its headquarters – 1,100 jobs – to Lisle, DuPage County had a number of other big projects develop in 2017,” said John Carpenter, president and CEO of Choose DuPage. “Low taxes, strong labor demographics, as well as a highly educated and skilled workforce are just a few of the benefits DuPage is successfully leveraging to attract business development for the region. DuPage County continues to be a driving economic force in the Chicagoland area as there are a number of opportunities on the horizon and we anticipate further growth for the region in 2018.” 

DuPage County saw a number of large real estate transactions over the past year spurring job creation including AMITA Health’s relocation of its headquarters to Lisle in the fall of 2017. CAMCRAFT and Get Fresh Produce brought just under 500 new jobs to the Bartlett area, while Oak Brook gained more than 325 jobs via transactions by CBRE, Rush University Medical Center and others.

Details surrounding the top twenty real estate transactions of 2017, as well as an industry sector breakdown, are included in the Choose DuPage 2017 Annual Economic Indicators Report and can be viewed in its entirety by clicking here.