Groupon Reignites Chicago Dream of Tapping Silicon Prairie Money
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Groupon Inc.’s impact on Chicago reaches far beyond the daily-deal coupons e-mailed to customers in its hometown, the third-largest U.S. city.
In little more than two years, the company’s total employees have surged to more than 10,000 from 37. Hundreds of those workers live in the Chicago area, a modest boost to a local economy where the most recent unemployment rate was 10.5 percent compared with 9 percent in October for the nation. Groupon’s growth also has raised the city’s profile with technology investors.