The Midwest’s Top 5 Sectors Creating Jobs Right Now
Why companies are moving into the Heartland revival: Big Money, Big Jobs, Big Momentum. Our latest research at 42 highlights the sectors fueling the Midwest economy. These are the industries shaping what comes next.
Emerging Tech Hubs & AI
The Midwest is quickly becoming a center of innovation in artificial intelligence and advanced technology. The Twin Cities region already counts more than 259,000 STEM graduates and over 3,000 AI-skilled professionals (Financial Times, Apr 2025). Minneapolis–St. Paul has emerged as a magnet for startups, with 83 AI companies headquartered there (Barron’s, Apr 2025).
Investment is following this talent pool. Major cloud providers are rolling out multi-billion-dollar AI infrastructure projects across Midwest metros, reinforcing the region’s reputation as a growth frontier (Forbes, Feb 2025). Cities like Columbus and Ann Arbor are now recognized as “AI-ready” hubs, supported by world-class universities. The University of Michigan and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are leading the way by launching AI research labs and new training programs with direct industry ties (CNN, Mar 2025). This combination of talent, capital, and academic leadership makes the Midwest a rising force in the AI economy.
Semiconductors & Advanced Manufacturing
Ohio and Indiana are spearheading a new era of U.S. chipmaking. In New Albany, Intel’s $28 billion mega-fab is underway, with potential to reach $100 billion in investment over the next decade. This single project is set to create 3,000 permanent jobs and 7,000 construction roles (Forbes, Jan 2025). Meanwhile, SK Hynix is investing $3.9 billion in advanced chip packaging in West Lafayette, Indiana, expected to generate more than 1,000 high-tech jobs by 2028 (Wall Street Journal, Apr 2025).
The educational sector is rapidly adapting to meet workforce demand. Ohio University’s ASCENT initiative, funded by Intel, is training engineers through a $3 million program. Partner schools like Bowling Green State University, Ohio State University, Purdue, and Michigan State are launching semiconductor degree tracks to expand the pipeline of skilled graduates (OU Jan 2023; BGSU Jan 2023). As demand surges for fab engineers and automation specialists, the Midwest is positioning itself as America’s semiconductor stronghold.
Real Estate & Multifamily Housing
The real estate market is another sector showing strong momentum. In Chicago, multifamily sales doubled year-over-year in Q1 2025, with Class-A property prices jumping by 33% (Cushman & Wakefield, mid-2025). National absorption trends also underscore the demand: in Q2 2025, Americans leased 116,000 multifamily units, marking one of the strongest quarters since 2000 (Cushman & Wakefield, mid-2025).
Large-scale investors are committing significant capital. Morgan Properties closed a $501 million acquisition of more than 3,000 units across the Midwest, expanding its portfolio in the region to 14,500 units (Wall Street Journal, Apr 2025). This signals clear confidence in the strength of Midwest rental markets, where affordability and population inflows are reshaping housing dynamics. The growth is also fueling demand for asset managers, leasing directors, and development analysts (Midlands Business Journal, May 2025).
Clean Energy & Grid Expansion
Clean energy is one of the fastest-growing job creators in the Midwest. By the end of 2023, the region supported 761,000 clean energy and EV jobs, surpassing pre-pandemic levels (Clean Jobs Midwest, Oct 2024). The sector added 28,600 new jobs in a single year, with notable growth in solar (+5.6%), storage (+4.1%), wind (+2.3%), and smart-grid technology (+4.9%).
Long-term potential is even more striking. If announced projects proceed as planned, the Midwest could add 575,000 more jobs by 2030 while contributing $86 billion annually to GDP (Clean Power, May 2025). This growth is spurring demand for a wide range of new roles, from wind turbine technicians and solar project managers to grid modernization engineers. For investors and employers alike, clean energy in the Midwest represents both immediate growth and long-term resilience.
Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure
As AI adoption accelerates, the Midwest has become a hotspot for data center expansion. Buildouts in the region grew 69% year-over-year, with utilities investing billions in new power infrastructure to meet demand (CNN Business, May 2025). The scale is remarkable: AWS, Google, and Microsoft are all constructing multi-billion-dollar campuses in Ohio, Iowa, and Indiana, anchoring the region as a backbone for U.S. digital infrastructure (Financial Times, Mar 2025).
The employment ripple effect is significant. From cloud engineers and data center operations managers to cooling-system specialists, the workforce required to keep these campuses operational is expanding quickly (Barron’s, May 2025). As AI drives exponential data demand, the Midwest is capturing both the investment and the jobs tied to America’s digital transformation.
At 42, we created this sector spotlight to guide our clients and partners toward what matters most: leadership and talent aligned with growth. Every sector highlighted is not only attracting capital, but also demanding new skills, new executives, and new vision.
The Midwest is writing its next chapter right now, and success will belong to the organizations that put the right leaders in place to capture it.
References
Financial Times, Apr 2025, Midwest AI and STEM Workforce Report
Barron’s, Apr 2025, AI Startup Growth in Minneapolis–St. Paul
Forbes, Jan 2025, Intel’s Ohio Mega-Fab Investment
Wall Street Journal, Apr 2025, SK Hynix Advanced Packaging Facility in Indiana
Ohio University, Jan 2023; BGSU, Jan 2023, Semiconductor Education Initiatives
Cushman & Wakefield, mid-2025, U.S. Multifamily Marketbeat
Wall Street Journal, Apr 2025, Morgan Properties Midwest Acquisition
Midlands Business Journal, May 2025, Real Estate Employment Trends
Clean Jobs Midwest, Oct 2024, Annual Jobs Report
Clean Power, May 2025, Clean Energy Investment Outlook
CNN Business, May 2025, AI Data Center Power Demand
Financial Times, Mar 2025, Hyperscale Campus Expansion in the Midwest
Barron’s, May 2025, Employment in U.S. Data Center Industry
