The Seattle metro area has it all: globally-recognized companies, growing small and minority-owned businesses, highly-skilled workers,
cutting-edge research and thriving industry clusters.
Global Businesses
Amazon.com, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes, Microsoft Corporation, Starbucks Coffee Company, Costco, Weyerhaeuser, Nordstrom, REI, Alaska Airlines, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These are just some of the
globally-recognized organizations headquartered in the Seattle area.
It is estimated that one in three local jobs is tied to international trade. This isn't surprising given Seattle's location. Seattle is
equidistant from London and Tokyo and the region's marine ports are closer to Asia than any other major port on the United States' West Coast.
Small and Minority-Owned Businesses
Small and minority-owned businesses are a vital and thriving contributor to the Seattle metro economy and the community at large.
The Business Index 2010, produced by
the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranks the state's
tax system fifth in the nation for entrepreneurship and small business. And according to the 2010 Washington Minority Small Business Survey, conducted by the University of Washington's Business and Economic
Development Center, 36 percent of minority-owned businesses anticipated hiring within the next three months.
Highly-Skilled Workforce
Seattle consistently ranks as one of the most highly educated cities in the nation and more than 53 percent of residents have at least a bachelor's degree. Facebook, Salesforce.com, Zynga Inc and Google are some of the Bay Area tech companies that have opened offices in the Seattle area to tap into the region's deep talent pool according to the Wall Street Journal. Online real estate company Zillow describes the three main types of residents in Seattle as highly educated professionals with high-incomes; students in higher education; and singles with upper-scale incomes.
Cutting-Edge Research
Seattle is home to world-renowned public and private research institutions. That includes the University of Washington, one of the top public universities for research funding.
Private institutions and companies also have extensive research functions. According to a study by the Technology Alliance, Washington state has especially strong R&D spending by
business and nonprofits. In fact, business accounts for the largest share of R&D dollars in Washington state.
Thriving Industry Clusters
The Seattle metro area has a strong base in established industry sectors, such as aerospace, information technology and retail. It's also a
center for creative and emerging industry segments, such as interactive media, music and clean technology.
For more information about Seattle's industry clusters and for assistance with expanding or relocating a business in the area, visit the
website for enterpriseseattle.org, King County's economic development
organization.
For a recent report on job activity in these sectors, see the Chamber's 2010 Job Sector Survey.