(The Center Square) – Chicago officials are honoring local manufacturers, but manufacturing numbers are down in Illinois and across the Midwest.
Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke Monday morning at the Chicago Manufacturing Awards Ceremony on the city’s West Side.
“Chicago has been called the city that works, and that’s because of the historic legacy and achievements in manufacturing,” Johnson said.
The mayor noted that October is Illinois Manufacturing Month.
Johnson credited the city’s Department of Planning and Development and World Business Chicago for their work.
“Both DPD and WBC are driving this inclusive, equitable, sustainable growth in Chicago and really throughout our entire region,” Johnson said.
Manufacturing employment is down in Illinois this year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state dropped from 581,900 manufacturing jobs in December 2023 to 577,500 in August 2024.
Manufacturing activity across a big part of the Midwest has declined over the last three years.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s survey of economic conditions, the Manufacturing Activity Index in Federal Reserve District 7, which covers parts of five states, dropped from 63.69 in April 2021 to -19.05 in September 2024.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says too many communities are still underserved.
“Bringing those families into this sector, that is really the heart of my administration: Chicago’s young people, the recent graduates, justice-impacted individuals, people with disabilities, refugees, immigrants and everyone in between,” Johnson said.
The mayor reiterated his support for public private partnerships.
The awards ceremony was held at mHub on Chicago’s Near West Side. The event was first organized by the city’s Department of Planning and Development and World Business Chicago in 2023.
