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The article reports on Reverend Jesse Jackson's annual Rainbow/PUSH Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The conference addressed the degradation of women and access to capital for black businesses in 2007. The author reports that Jackson vowed to continue to fight for equality in education, employment, health care, and business development. Notable figures in attendance included former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The article informs that Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s first store in Chicago, Illinois, in Austin neighborhood on the West Side was perceived initially as a boon for minorities. It has been stated that hiring Margaret Garner in 2005 as the first black woman contractor to build the store was an indication for minorities to get jobs and contracting dollars, but now subcontractors of the project have put questions on that.

The article reports on the settlement of the labor dispute of African American construction unions due to the agreement of the government to open 4,000 jobs for the minority group applicants in Chicago, Illinois.

Reports on the findings of the survey of minority-owned businesses in Chicago, Illinois, conducted by the periodical `Crain's Chicago Business.' Hiring of workers; Comparison to layoffs in majority-owned companies; Percentage of minorities in the workforce; Cooperative support for commercial ventures; Sources of capital; Lack of training and management information; Divisiveness.

Presents information on the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair, during April 2-3, 1997. Benefits of the fair to minority entrepreneurs; Objectives of the fair; Expected number of attendees.

Features Operation ABLE (Ability Based on Long Experience), a nonprofit Chicago group that offers help to unemployed people age 45 and up. Provision of career counseling; Job hotline; Training and job workshops; Major obstacles for unemployed middle-aged people in getting jobs; Contact information.

The article reports on increased interest among people in Chicago, Illinois, for local training programs to tackle the rise in unemployment in the state. Members of minority groups, as reported, are the worse affected than their white counterparts as figures from the state government shows that, unemployment rose to an average annual rate of 12.1% among African-Americans and 6.6% among Hispanics at year-end 2008, while it was 5.7% for whites, during the same period.

Discusses the challenges facing immigrants opting to live in Chicago, Illinois. Difficulty of finding employment that will allow for the maintenance of a household and the ability to meet personal needs; Types of work for immigrants; Increasing number of immigrants possessing skills or education in marketable fields.

Discloses that Reverend Jesse Jackson is finding difficulty in getting the cooperation of futures exchanges in Chicago, Illinois, for his LaSalle Street Project which hopes to provide opportunities for minorities in the financial district. Jackson's plan to lobby corporate members of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Focuses on threat to minority contractors of losing the business in Chicago, Illinois. Construction contracts awarded to minority set-asides; Legal action against Cook County and Chicago; Impact of the county rulings on minority contractors.

Presents statistics on occupations in Chicago with the most workers from a minority group and companies which offer employee incentives to volunteer. Data from the U.S. Census; Survey by Metro Chicago Information Center; Federal employees as most likely to donate time for charitable organizations; Statistics on Chicago 911 calls and employment in the services industry.