Downtown Market Approaches Equilibrium as the Vacancy Rate Continues to Decrease and Asking Rates Increase
Chicago’s downtown office market is continuing to become tighter. The overall vacancy rate has decreased from 13.4% to 12.6%, year over year. This is the lowest it has been since the end of 2008 and now brings the market almost to equilibrium. Simultaneously Chicago’s unemployment rate continued to improve in the second quarter. According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Chicago’s unemployment rate decrease from 7.7% in May 2014 to 6.7%, May 2015.