The Employment Situation in Illinois

Located in the Midwestern United States, the state of Illinois has traditionally played an extremely important role in linking the country’s western agricultural belt and its eastern industrial belt. With its huge O'Hare International Airport, the Missouri River and Mississippi River running through north and south, and a network of highways stretching in all directions, Illinois serves as a “logistical heart” from which goods are transported by air, water, and land to all parts of the United States. In recent years, Uber has established a freight headquarters in Illinois and companies including major logistics companies have also established bases in the state, which, among other developments, has bestowed Illinois with strengths in logistics and supply chain-related technologies.

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, and is the third biggest city in the US after New York and Los Angeles. The city hosts a wide range of large-scale events that include the “IMTS” (International Manufacturing Technology Show), one of the top three machinery trade shows in the world, and the “NRA (National Restaurant Association) Show”, which is among the largest gatherings of foodservice professionals in the US. This makes Chicago a place where people, goods, and money are constantly flowing. Industries such as electronics, semiconductors, and transportation machinery have developed in suburban areas around Chicago, and the city remains one of the most important centers of commerce, finance, and distribution in the US. In recent years, Chicago has also garnered attention as a center for “innovation in manufacturing”. Situated on the banks of Lake Michigan, Chicago is also referred to as a treasure chest of modern architecture, with a skyline of modern skyscrapers that include the John Hancock Tower and the Willis Tower. The city has many points of interest, with museums and art galleries including The Art Institute of Chicago.

 Japanese Companies and the Japanese Community in Illinois

More Japanese companies have a presence in Illinois than in any other Midwestern state and there are 1,434 business location of 700 Japanese companies, employing 516,000 people.Japan is the top foreign capital in Illinois by number of locations. In 2021, mutual trade between Japan and Illinois totaled a record $2.44 billion. Industries include finance, trading, manufacturing, technology, and logistics, and the demand for bilingual human resources able to speak English and Japanese is high in this area. Furthermore, CADDi, a manufacturing supply chain technology company, and Rapyuta Robotics, a warehouse automation support company, also established a presence in Illinois in 2023.

In Chicago, there is the greater metropolitan area that centers on the city includes other areas with concentrations of Japanese companies, such as Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, and Schaumburg. These suburban areas host facilities that include Japanese restaurants, Japanese supermarkets, and Japanese schools, making them convenient and comfortable places for Japanese people to reside.

 Positions in Illinois

In industries such as manufacturing, logistics and others, bilingual personnel are needed to fill a wide range of positions including sales, mechanical and electronic engineering, IT engineering, accounting, HR, logistics, admins, and trading, as well as customer service and other positions that require strong support in both Japanese and English, and bilingual positions for persons able to speak English and Japanese and who have a thorough knowledge of Japanese culture and language. There are also many positions that do not require Japanese language skills at the wide range of Japanese companies with a well-established presence in the US.