Where the (good) jobs are

With unemployment at a 50-year low—the rate in Illinois was 3.9 percent late last year—it's an excellent time to be in the job market and not a bad time to be a corporate employee.

Labor shortages have put the spotlight on once-sleepy corporate human resources departments. HR has gained stature as companies seek to recruit and retain talent through coaching and leadership-development programs. Recruiters who can spot and court talent are in demand, as are HR specialists, generalists and compensation consultants. "The HR function has been elevated as the labor market has gotten tighter," says Daniel Zhao, senior economist at employment website Glassdoor. "There's a focus on workplace culture and wellness that is not going away."

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