In addition to maintaining and growing our historic strength as the Bay Area’s major health, transportation, and logistics hub, Oakland has also gained increasing local and national attention for its arts scene, solar and green energy cluster, food production, and “maker” movement of artisans, industrial fabricators, and manufacturers. The City will continue to support the growth of both our historic sectors as well as emerging ones, in order to achieve a thriving and equitable economic development program.
In June 2018, Business Insider ranked the greater Bay Area economy as the best in the U.S., with the region's two MSAs in the No. 1 and No.2 slots.
Companies with a large presence in Oakland include Kaiser Permanente, Clorox, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Pandora, Rainin Instruments, Securitas Security Services, Southwest Airlines and many others. Visit our Major Oakland Employers page for more insight to who's here.
Business Development Resources
Oakland’s Business Development staff creatively address business clients’ concerns and issues in a timely fashion and create a business-friendly environment:
- Connect businesses to locations and new opportunities
- Communicate with appropriate City staff
- Help businesses participate in City incentive programs
- Reach out to Oakland business-community resources
- Facilitate discussions with City officials