While everyone seems to have something negative to say about the economy, would you believe that the Greater Philadelphia area has the sixth highest gross domestic product, or GDP, among American cities? Center City Philadelphia is the largest center of employment in Pennsylvania, generating nearly $14 billion in private-sector salaries to residents across the region, including $6 billion in annual salaries to city residents. The city’s economy is also well diversified. The major economic drivers here include oil refining, food processing, health care, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, higher education, financial services and tourism
Within the city, you will find several Fortune 500 companies, including Aramark, Comcast, CIGNA, Lincoln Financial Group, Sunoco, Rohm and Haas, FMC Corp., Wyeth and GlaxoSmithKline. In the surrounding counties, major corporations like McNeil Laboratories, Siemens and Campbell Soup call this region home.
