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 Walgreens has announced plans to
double the number of tech workers in its Chicago technology office to 600 up
from 300. However, not all of the jobs will be new hires. The company will
transfer an unspecified number of workers from Walgreens’ headquarters in the
Lake County village of Deerfield, Illinois.
The 116-year old pharmacy chain will also expand its tech office at Chicago’s
Sullivan Center. A Walgreens official told the Chicago Tribune that the company
was going to expand 20,000 square feet, bringing it to a total of 114,000 square
feet.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel met with Walgreens officials at at the pharmacy
chain’s office in downtown Chicago.
 “We’re not resting until you leave Deerfield completely,” Emanuel told Walgreens
officials, according to the Tribune.
Walgreens now joins a growing list of companies partially or completely moving
their white-collar workers to Chicago, including Motorola Solutions, Kraft
Heinz, McDonald’s and United Airlines – though they often do so with skeleton
staffs compared with their old homes.
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Growth in the city’s
tech sector has come in stark contrast to the exodus of blue-collar
opportunities from Chicago.
Walgreens was Deerfield’s largest employer in 2016, employing more
than 6,000 workers. The next largest employer, Baxter International,
a health care products company, employs 4,000 workers.
If serious, Emanuel’s efforts could be bad news for the small Lake
County village of 19,000. Lake County has the highest property taxes
in the state and the 21st highest in the whole country. A corporate
giant like Walgreens leaving the area could drive up local property
tax bills even higher.
Chicago enjoys a number of advantages over Deerfield. In his
statements, Emanuel touted the city’s workforce and public transit
systems; resources that would make it difficult for a village like
Deerfield to compete for tech jobs. Emanuel is also likely trying to
flex the Windy City’s muscles for Amazon’s second headquarters,
dubbed HQ2. Chicago is considered to be a serious contender for the
estimated 50,000 tech jobs HQ2 would bring.
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