Bradford is renowned for its strong manufacturing industry. Employing 160,000 people in total, it is the biggest manufacturing base in the the UK. 47,000 people work in engineering alone. Other important sectors include electronics, aerospace, textiles, medical equipment and printing. The creative and digital industries are also flourishing; 4600 people are now employed across the sector, and the Airedale Digital Corridor plays host to a number of important digital firms such as SmarDTV and Arris (Pace).

Bradford's financial and business services sector contributes over £13 billion each year, and is expected to grow by a further 51% by 2022. There are currently around 250,000 people working in the financial and professional services industry, with 22,500 employed in legal services alone.