Not unlike the vast majority of the nation, the DuPage County jobs market has taken a significant hit. The current DuPage unemployment rate is at 9.2%. This rate slips in just below the US unemployment rate of 9.5%. Though the current outlook may seem bleak, there are opportunities out there. In DuPage County, we are rather lucky to have so many large-scale employers located within our borders.
The Aurora-Naperville area plays host to many large companies including: Nicor Gas, BP, Ondeo Nalco, ConAgra Foods, Laidlaw, Calamos Investments, Solar Communications, Kraft Foods, The Hartford, Eby-Brown, First Alert, OfficeMax, Westell, and more… These potential employers are scattered about the area, but many are located near I-88 or Fox Valley Mall. Now that the Eola Road interchange / exit has been completed, even more big employers are looking at moving info the area.
Chicago Suburban News recently ran an article about the future opportunities around the Eola Road interchange. U.S. Foodservice, the nations second-largest food supplier recently purchased 50 acres of land for a potential future move to the are from Rosemont. Last year, McKesson, the nationals largest pharmaceuticals distributor and O’Cedar, makers of brooms and mops, both opened enormous distribution centers near the interchange.
Many of these employers have contracted with placement firms or ‘head-hunters’ to fulfill open jobs. Don’t limit your job search to websites like Monster.com or careerbuilder.com. Often major employers such as these listed will not list job opportunities on these sites. Jobs have been harder to come by throughout DuPage County, but they are out there.
This book has many great tips for job hunting in this kind of market:
BOOK! – Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics