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Industry Clusters

An industry cluster consists of a group of industries that are closely linked by common product markets, labor pools, similar technologies, supplier chains, and/or other economic ties. Clusters can take on strategic importance because activities that benefit one group member will generally have positive spillover effects on other members of the cluster.

Twelve industry clusters, with critical sub-clusters, have been identified for workforce strategies. These 12 clusters account for nearly 83 percent of all employment in the commonwealth. They are used to:

  • Offer a consistent definition that allows for the comparison of the industrial structure of regional economies.
  • Identify major employers in significant clusters as a springboard for building Sector Partnerships.
  • Provide a basis for occupational data analysis by grouping industries together that share workforce needs.
  • Determine training that prepares the commonwealth's workforce for jobs that drive those clusters.

Background information, as well as a complete listing of the industries included in each cluster, is provided in the Pennsylvania’s Industry Clusters document.

Industry Cluster Snapshots

The following documents provide a quick overview of each of Pennsylvania's 12 industry clusters.

To download a PDF, select the appropriate industry cluster from the list below:

 

If you require Accessible versions of documents on this site and no alternate versions are available, 
please call 1-877-493-3282 or send a request to workforceinfo@pa.gov.