Business
December airline delays hit Chicago's O'Hare Airport hard
Chicago O'Hare International Airport's flight delays in December were just as bad and unusual as they seemed, according to recently released U.S. Department of Transportation data.
By the numbers: Just 71.5% of domestic flights departed O'Hare on time in December 2022, per data from the department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
What Chicago's biggest employers offer for parental leave
Parental leave policies vary widely depending on which Chicagoland organization you work for.
Why it matters: Paid parental leave benefits families, research shows, and offering more generous policies is one way employers can recruit and retain workers in a tight labor market.
Revisiting Milwaukee Avenue: Wicker Park's spirit is still alive

Milwaukee Avenue. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Wicker Park has been a destination for tourists and Chicagoans alike for decades, but many of the businesses that defined the neighborhood's independent spirit are long gone.
What's happening: After Walgreens vacated the iconic old bank building late last month, I decided to spend a Saturday strolling Milwaukee Avenue to see how much it's changed since the last time I walked it, in 2021.
Babysitting costs climb in Chicago
Babysitting rates rose 13% in Chicago in 2022 from the year prior, according to survey results caregiver-finding platform UrbanSitter provided to Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson.
- Still, it's cheaper here than much of the U.S.
For residents, Chicago's downtown is rated top-notch

Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Chicago's downtown ranks among the nation's best for residential living.
- The rating comes from a recent analysis by self-storage company StorageCafe.com, which looked at living options, safety and lifestyle amenities balanced by cost.
Meet the (possible) mayor: Paul Vallas

Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks during a press conference at his campaign headquarters this month. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
As part of our ongoing series to show a fresh side of this year's mayoral hopefuls, today we present our Q&A with Paul Vallas.
The candidate: Vallas was CEO of Chicago Public Schools in the '90s. He also ran for governor of Illinois in 2002 and lieutenant governor in 2014.
Chicago business community quiet on mayoral race

Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
Though most big unions have announced their mayoral endorsements, Chicago's business community has remained mostly mum.
Driving the news: In endorsing Paul Vallas on Wednesday, 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney suggested the business community might have finally found its guy.
Chicago's food prices fall, but consumers still seek relief
Food prices across Chicago were up nearly 8% in December compared with a year earlier, per a new analysis from Axios' Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick.
- The cost of food eaten at home was up 8.3%, while the price of food eaten away from home was up 6.7%, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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