Attending the Chicago Economics Club luncheon today to hear Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke, I was seated next to a big-time commercial real estate broker in the area. He was telling me that his clients are making the move from the suburbs to downtown Chicago. The obvious benefit, he said, was that moving into the city put companies closer to the talent they need. The not-so-obvious benefit is that it gives companies a way to unload the workers they don't want without firing them. Employees who avoid change tend not to move. Instead, they quit -- and employers breathe a sigh of relief.

He told me that employers are seeking buildings and environments that support a whole new way of working. They want open space, team meeting rooms, casual gathering spaces, Internet cafes. "Separate offices with heavy millwork just don't cut it any more."

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