High Growth Industries
ManufacturingThe 1,722 manufacturing establishments in the Columbus Region employed 82,850 in 2013 (EMSI). The
sector contributed $10.6 billion to regional output in 2013. The Columbus Region experienced a 36
percent increase in manufacturing productivity (output per worker) after inflation between 2001 and 2013.
High output location quotients for manufacturing of beverages, electrical equipment, transportation
equipment, and nonmetallic mineral products (Economy.com, 2013). The Ohio Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (Ohio MEP) supports the diversity and strength of Ohio’s manufacturing industry by
providing the products, services and assistance that are dedicated to the productivity, growth and global
competitiveness of Ohio manufacturers.
Science and TechnologyA large, educated workforce, combined with superior research capabilities and a strong corporate
foundation, has allowed Central Ohio to become one of the fastest growing innovation and technology
hubs in the nation. Home of 315 Research and Technology Corridor, one of the largest research based sits
in the U.S., employing more than 50,000 people and managing more than $1 billion in research grants
annually. Columbus is identified as eighth-best city in the U.S. for tech job growth (Praxis Strategy Group
2012). Also, 2,175 science and technology establishments in the Columbus Region employ more than
36,000 workers (EMSI 2013)
Logistics/TransportationLocated in the heart of the Midwestern United States, the Columbus Region provides easy access to major
national and global markets. The Columbus Region is within a 10-hour truck drive of 45 percent of the
U.S. population, 44 percent of the U.S. manufacturing capacity, and 47 percent of US headquarters
operations. (ESRI, 2013) 4,048 logistics establishments with nearly 75,000 employees.
HealthcareThe healthcare industry has grown rapidly and is projected to grow in the future due to advances in
medical knowledge and the increased need for the medical services required by an aging population.
Moreover, the growing complexity of health care delivery, including changing technologies, will require
both incumbent workers and new entrants to continuously upgrade their skills. Although job opportunities
exist for workers without extensive specialization training, most health care occupations require training
leading to a vocational license, certificate, or degree.
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Professional & Business ServicesThe professional and business services (PBS) sector includes three subsectors:
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Professional, scientific, and technical
Management of companies
Administrative, support and waste management
The first two require a higher skill level and educational attainment. The last, administrative and support
services, generally provides routine services to business, including administrative services, janitorial and
building support, travel services, and security. Employment services is the largest component of
administrative and support services accounting for almost half of total business services. From an
economic development standpoint, administrative and support services serve an important role in overall
staffing, especially during tight labor markets.
Government –
Serving as Ohio’s state capital, Columbus is the ideal location in Central Ohio for obtaining employment
within the government. While it is the means by which state policy is enforced, as well as the mechanism
for determining the policy of state, jobs in government also reach further than politicians and
administrators. The most common state and local government jobs are found in education, healthcare and
protective services. The largest occupations in state and local government include police and sheriffs,
administrative support workers, correctional officers and janitors. Nursing jobs are found at all three
government levels and about 20% of federal government jobs are at the US Postal Service.
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