Last week we released new research defining the U.S. “advanced industries” sector and showing how heavily the future prosperity of U.S. regions and the nation depends on this list of 50 R&D- and STEM-worker intensive industries. These industries—which range from automotive and aerospace manufacturing to energy activities to digital services like computer system design and software—play an outsized role in powering regional and national economic success. Their vitality and expansion are a prerequisite for any future inclusive growth.
And yet, only a limited number of U.S. metro areas retain truly dense and diverse advanced industry bases, however. The table below shows the 20 large metro areas where advanced industries employ the biggest share of the workforce.