DOWNTOWN — Nearly 150 jobs with cell phone giant Nokia's are coming to the city — and an additional 100 "highly skilled" tech jobs will eventually be added, according to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The mayor announced the move Wednesday at 425 W. Randolph St., the company’s current location. The new jobs, relocated from Itasca, will bring Nokia's total Chicago headcount to nearly 1,500.
Emanuel said Nokia's already visible footprint in Chicago was the foundation for his case to bring more jobs to the West Loop.
“We are not second to anyone in terms of this technology,” the mayor said.
The relocation of Nokia’s Mobile Phones Xpress Internet Services from Itasca will add to Chicago’s status as the “digital crossroads of the continent,” Emanuel said. Likewise, the mayor noted the move will translate into opportunities for students at local colleges and universities, including Chicago’s City Colleges.
“It’s the ability to find local talent that was the convincing case,” the mayor said.
