People from these metros are finding new jobs in Chicago
The COVID-19 pandemic has truly changed the way we think about the nature of work, and in particular, where we live versus where we're employed. Pre-pandemic, telecommuting or work-from-home situations existed, but they weren't the norm. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans rarely or never telecommuted pre-pandemic. Months later, just over half of workers who could were telecommuting. Although vaccines were on the horizon—and with that, an imminent return to office life—many still preferred this new way of working.
Employees discovered that working from home certainly had an upside. No more long, stressful commute. They were more productive. Having more flexibility with time allowed them to better manage a household. For those who live in expensive real estate markets, the pandemic has provided an opportunity to make the leap to a more affordable city without sacrificing a big-city paycheck.
While many employers want to bring workers back to the office in some capacity, the work-from-home trend is likely here to stay. With it, smaller cities may continue to boom, as people leave larger cities for a different lifestyle. So, where in your state are people coming to settle and enjoy this new work-from-anywhere style of living? To find out, Stacker compiled a list of metros where the most people are finding new jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Jobs-to-Jobs Flows. Metros are ranked by the number of people that started a new job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI in the first quarter of 2021.
#20. Michigan City-La Porte, IN
--- #2 most common destination from Michigan City
- Started a new job in Michigan City from Chicago in Q1 2021: 423
--- 1.1% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 1 to Chicago
#19. Carbondale-Marion, IL
--- #2 (tie) most common destination from Carbondale
- Started a new job in Carbondale from Chicago in Q1 2021: 512
--- 1.4% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 35 to Carbondale
#18. Non-metropolitan area(s), WI
--- #8 most common destination from Non
- Started a new job in Non from Chicago in Q1 2021: 573
--- 1.5% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 72 to Non
#17. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
--- #12 most common destination from Detroit
- Started a new job in Detroit from Chicago in Q1 2021: 609
--- 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 99 to Detroit
#16. Racine, WI
--- #3 most common destination from Racine
- Started a new job in Racine from Chicago in Q1 2021: 612
--- 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 95 to Racine
#15. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
--- #16 most common destination from Los Angeles
- Started a new job in Los Angeles from Chicago in Q1 2021: 593
--- 1.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 74 to Los Angeles
#14. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
--- #9 (tie) most common destination from Dallas
- Started a new job in Dallas from Chicago in Q1 2021: 1,157
--- 3.1% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 600 to Dallas
#13. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
--- #2 most common destination from Davenport
- Started a new job in Davenport from Chicago in Q1 2021: 657
--- 1.8% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 22 to Chicago
#12. Bloomington, IL
--- #1 most common destination from Bloomington
- Started a new job in Bloomington from Chicago in Q1 2021: 774
--- 2.1% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 31 to Bloomington
#11. Non-metropolitan area(s), IN
--- #5 most common destination from Non
- Started a new job in Non from Chicago in Q1 2021: 831
--- 2.2% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 61 to Non
#10. Champaign-Urbana, IL
--- #2 most common destination from Champaign
- Started a new job in Champaign from Chicago in Q1 2021: 817
--- 2.2% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 15 to Chicago
#9. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
--- #19 most common destination from New York
- Started a new job in New York from Chicago in Q1 2021: 739
--- 2.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 97 to Chicago
#8. Springfield, IL
--- #2 most common destination from Springfield
- Started a new job in Springfield from Chicago in Q1 2021: 1,069
--- 2.9% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 153 to Springfield
#7. Kankakee, IL
--- #1 most common destination from Kankakee
- Started a new job in Kankakee from Chicago in Q1 2021: 1,051
--- 2.8% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 124 to Chicago
#6. Peoria, IL
--- #2 most common destination from Peoria
- Started a new job in Peoria from Chicago in Q1 2021: 1,419
--- 3.8% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 53 to Chicago
#5. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
--- #3 most common destination from Milwaukee
- Started a new job in Milwaukee from Chicago in Q1 2021: 2,009
--- 5.4% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 144 to Milwaukee
#4. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
--- #3 most common destination from Indianapolis
- Started a new job in Indianapolis from Chicago in Q1 2021: 2,433
--- 6.5% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 409 to Indianapolis
#3. Rockford, IL
--- #2 most common destination from Rockford
- Started a new job in Rockford from Chicago in Q1 2021: 1,870
--- 5.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 161 to Chicago
#2. St. Louis, MO-IL
--- #3 most common destination from St. Louis
- Started a new job in St. Louis from Chicago in Q1 2021: 2,589
--- 7.0% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 298 to Chicago
#1. Non-metropolitan area(s), IL
--- #2 most common destination from Non
- Started a new job in Non from Chicago in Q1 2021: 3,577
--- 9.6% of total new out-of-metro jobs
- Net job flow: 232 to Non