A new high-speed rail network could help created thousands of Chicago construction jobs, as well as construction and permanent jobs in other states.

In all, eight states are coordinating a bid for a share of $8 billion in federal stimulus money for the project. Governors from Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio recently met at the Midwest High Speed Rail Summit to further discuss the project.

If constructed, the high-speed railroad would connect 12 metropolitan areas, with Chicago serving as the main hub. Aside from making transportation among states easier, the project also would help reduce road congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions. If given the go ahead, the project could take 10 to 20 years to complete. It would create 15,000 construction jobs and another 57,000 permanent jobs.

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A new state capital plan will help create jobs in Chicago, particularly in the construction and education-related industries. Click here to learn more about Chicago jobs.

A five-year capital program from the State of Illinois will provide the money needed for critical local infrastructure projects. Under the program, Chicago Public Schools will receive $400 million for school construction, the Chicago Transit Authority will receive $900 million and the Chicago Park District will receive $41 million. Money also will be allocated for work on roads and bridges.

“I want to thank (Governor Pat Quinn) and the General Assembly for meeting the challenge of passing a capital program that will create jobs, fix our schools and roads, support mass transit and pump new spending into our economy at the very time that we need it most,” Mayor Richard M. Daley said. “Combined with the federal economic stimulus legislation that has begun to deliver much-needed support to people all across the country, this new state program is a critical step in helping get our economy moving again.”

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The federal government is providing money that will help create several Chicago construction jobs.

The economic stimulus will provide enough funds for the City of Chicago to resurface more than 31 miles of streets, which will in turn create new jobs and sustain existing positions. The city expects to receive a total of $86 million in federal stimulus money for highway infrastructure projects.

The exact cost of the planned projects is unknown, but could be up to $50 million. The remainder of the money will be used to complete four major street reconstructions, including Chicago Avenue from Laramie to Grand, Congress Drive from Wells to Michigan, LaSalle Drive from Clark Street to Lake Shore Drive and Lake Park from 51st to 57th.

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Federal stimulus money set aside for some expansion projects at O’Hare International Airport will create new Chicago construction jobs.

The City of Chicago was originally hoping some of the $15 billion renovation project for the airport would be covered by stimulus money. However, the project doesn’t qualify under the criteria established by President Barack Obama. However, separate projects to repave an existing runway and widen a taxiway will receive $12 million in stimulus money, according to an article by the Chicago Tribune.

“People talk about a billion, trillion, but $12 million is a lot of money,” Mayor Richard Daley said in the article. “We’re very grateful.”

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While nearly every industry in the Chicago area saw an over-the-year job decrease during January, the ax fell hardest on Chicago construction jobs.

The Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area’s unemployment rate came in at 8.2 percent during January, up from 6.9 percent during December 2008. The area had a total non-farm employment of 3,697,200 workers during January, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 3,810,400 workers during December and a 2.8 percent decrease from last year.

Chicago’s construction industry only employed 137,000 workers during January, down from 153,400 workers during December and a 10 percent decrease from last year. The area’s construction industry has seen an over-the-year decline every month for the last six months: by 5.3 percent during August, by 6.3 percent during September, by 7.4 percent during October, by 9 percent during November, by 10.2 percent during December and by 10 percent during January.

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