United Airlines will hire up to 3,000 employees in Chicago to staff and maintain the new, bigger planes they are buying to replace aging aircrafts.

Chicago-based United Airlines is ordering 270 new Boeing and Airbus aircrafts for its fleet. As the largest order in the airline’s history, it is the first step in an investment process that’s expected to add more than 25,000 new jobs nationwide, including as many as 3,000 in the Chicago area alone.

An Illinois-based candy manufacturer is bringing a sweet deal to the city of DeKalb. The Ferrara Candy Company today marked the opening of the company’s latest facility in the state of Illinois.

Ferrara’s new distribution center expands upon the Chicago-based company’s investments in Illinois and reflects the company’s long history in the state. The new complex in the Chicago West Business Park will occupy 1.6 million square feet, create an estimated 500 local jobs and constitutes a $100 million investment in the DeKalb area.

A new report shows that Illinois remains one of the best states for big-name companies to set up shop.

The 2021 ranking of Fortune 500 companies includes 38 companies with their headquarters located in Illinois. With 38 of the nation’s top companies calling Illinois home, the state has more Fortune 500 companies that any other state in the Midwest. This number is the highest number of Fortune 500 companies in Illinois since 2001.

Several of Illinois’ companies that rank in this top tier include State Farm Insurance, Boeing, Kraft Heinz, and McDonalds. Illinois’ highest ranked company is Walgreens Boots Alliance which is ranked 16th. Companies are ranked based on revenue brought in over the last year.

The full 2021 report of Illinois based Fortune 500 companies can be found on the Fortune website.

It’s no secret that cities are better when they’re efficient and less divided. One infrastructure project in Springfield that attempts to increase efficiency and bring neighborhoods together was recognized by the American Public Work Association.

On Monday, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the APWA had selected the Ash Street underpass in Springfield as one of its “Project of the Year.” This award recognizes achievement in management and administration of public works projects across the United States.

Illinois has long lead the way in research aimed at improving the quality of life for state residents, as the selection of the Illinois State Cancer Registry to participate in a prestigious national program demonstrates.

The ISCR is a program of the Illinois Department of Public Health that collects and provides data relating to the occurrence of cancer in Illinois. This data allows medical professionals and communities to learn how to better treat cancer in patients and to identify potential causes of cancer cases by mapping where they occur.