Mayor Brandon Johnson is putting a big number on Chicago’s latest airport makeover, saying Sunday that the ORD Next terminal expansion will generate about 90,000 new jobs by the time the program wraps up. He also pledged fresh investment in both O’Hare and Midway to improve the travel experience for Chicagoans and visitors. The claim, posted from his official account, pins a concrete jobs target on a long-running modernization push that City Hall has billed as a major economic engine.
The mayor laid out the figure on X, writing “we’re expecting to create 90,000 new jobs” and promising investment in O'Hare and Midway to speed connections and upgrade the passenger experience. In the post, Johnson ties the projection directly to ORD Next, the next phase of the city’s O'Hare capital program.
By the end of the ORD Next development, we’re expecting to create 90,000 new jobs. My administration is committed to investing in our airports to improve the travel experience for Chicagoans and visitors alike. https://x.com/i/status/2048489805793681517
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@chicagosmayor) Apr 26, 2026
What ORD Next Is
ORD Next is the latest chapter in the city’s O’Hare 21 modernization effort. The plan combines a new O’Hare Global Terminal with two satellite concourses plus an underground tunnel that links them, a package intended to add gates, speed up connections and modernize the passenger experience, according to ORD21. City materials say the work will reshape terminals and roll out new passenger amenities across much of the airport complex.
Numbers On The Ground
The first big chunk of the program, a $1.3 billion Concourse D, broke ground in 2025 and is now moving into vertical construction. It is part of a broader package that industry reporting pegs at roughly $8.2 to $8.5 billion overall, as reported by Construction Dive. Work on Concourse D alone is expected to put thousands of tradespeople on site, with one industry outlet estimating about 3,800 construction jobs for that phase, as reported by Construction Owners.
Where The 90,000 Figure Fits
City project pages spell out the types of jobs that ORD Next is supposed to support, from baggage handlers and carpenters to electricians and plumbers, and they highlight opportunities for minority and women owned firms. What those official ORD pages and permitting guides do not spell out is a total of 90,000 jobs or a clear breakdown between temporary construction roles and permanent airport positions, according to the program’s project materials.
What To Watch Next
For anyone trying to gauge the real jobs impact, the next key indicators will be procurement milestones and any formal economic impact or jobs studies released by the city or the Department of Aviation. Concessions awards, final design approvals and a published impact analysis will offer the clearest path to verifying how many permanent airport jobs ORD Next delivers compared with short term construction roles, and the city has already signaled a major concessions push this spring. That process and its timing were outlined in coverage of a giant O'Hare concessions shakeup.
For now, Johnson’s 90,000 job projection is a headline grabbing number that sets expectations for what this multi billion dollar bet on O’Hare is supposed to deliver. Chicagoans will want to see a detailed accounting that separates construction, permanent and induced jobs. This story will be updated when the city releases a fuller breakdown or an independent impact study.
