pro-Chicago decisions
Our main key performance indicators are pro-Chicago decisions. The Research Center tracks activity throughout the year and we use this data to position Chicago competitively in the U.S. and on the world stage.
In 2023 there were 152 known pro-Chicago decisions (PCD's).
64
CORPORATE EXPANSIONS
18
LOCATED ON THE SOUTH & WEST SIDES
32
NEW OFFICE LOCATIONS
56
REGIONAL GCEP INVESTMENTS
PCD's highlight Chicago's key economic achievements.
A Pro-Chicago Decision is defined as the relocation, expansion or new market entrance of any entity that:
1. Has been either directly or indirectly influenced by WBC, OR
2. Is within the geographical city limits, AND
3. Has taken affirmative action to effectuate the decision, AND
4. Fulfills one or more of the following criteria:
- is an ecosystem catalyst, defined as entities contributing to diversifying the business community, both in terms of industry and innovation;
- is a foreign direct investment (FDI) business;
- has a new or expanded space that is at least 10,000 SF;
- created at least ten (10) jobs.
PCDs Methodology
The pro-Chicago decision as a key performance indicator (KPI) started in 2021 because no other metric tracks and aggregates business activity across all of Chicago, including on the South or West sides of the city.
The Research Center methodology for calculating PCDs is based on well-established practices used to estimate the impact of new jobs on the region's economy. Current PCDs rely on the Lightcast model, formerly known as ESMI/Burning Glass. Before 2020, business expansions and corporate relocations within the Chicagoland MSA was delineated using Costar data, the same data used by Site Selection Magazine to support annual rankings.