FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2014
Uber Announces Job Growth Projection at New
Midwest Headquarters
Technology company announces 425 Midwest jobs
by end of 2016 under current rideshare regulations and market conditions
CHICAGO, IL – On Tuesday, Uber Technologies was joined by
Illinois lawmakers, business leaders and tech community members to showcase
their new Midwest Headquarters here. During the event, Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s
Regional General Manager for the Midwest and Canada, highlighted the economic
impact the company has had on the city of Chicago and announced projected job
growth for Uber’s Midwest hub.
Under existing regulations and market conditions, Uber
projects it’s Midwest headquarters will more than quadruple in size between now
and 2016. The Midwest office started 2014 with 45 employees, a number that
quickly grew to 75 staff members and is expected to reach approximately 500
employees by the end of 2016.
These employment projections are separate from, and do not
include, the thousands of drivers who partner with Uber to provide expanded
transportation options to tens of thousands of riders in the Chicagoland area.
“Our
presence in the Midwest is expanding because riders and drivers love Uber,” said
Macdonald. “We are continuing to build our internal staff to meet the
growing consumer demand for rideshare services and those new jobs will have an
impact throughout the region. Uber has proven to be a boon to Chicago’s economy
and we expect that growth to continue under the current regulatory
environment.”
Uber’s new office in the West Loop is 16,000 square feet and
the largest to-date for the technology company. Guests toured the new space
while hearing from the Uber team about their plans for a greater economic
impact in Chicago coupled with their commitment to improving the quality of
life in every Chicagoland community.
“Innovation and opportunity is the key to growing the economy
for centuries to come,” said Howard Tullman, CEO, 1871. “Uber’s success
and commitment to Chicago demonstrates the possibilities that technology can
offer to consumers and communities as a whole. We are thrilled to have Uber as
a partner in creating an exciting tech hub here in Chicago.”
Uber is making a noticeable impact in Chicago. The company
has infused $192M into the local economy and makes it possible for the drivers
that partner with them to earn an income on a flexible schedule. The app makes
it possible to get a ride in neighborhoods ignored by the taxi industry.
The company announced an initiative earlier this year to help
veterans earn a living as a driver partner and is partnering with numerous
other local community organizations.
“Public policy is one area where we can continue to improve and send a
message to entrepreneurs that Chicago is the place to grow their business.
Uber’s job projections exemplify exactly how we can grow the business and tech
community in Chicago by getting public policy right as they did in the Chicago
City Council,” said Sarah Habansky, Vice President, Illinois Technology
Association.
