Industry in Akron Ohio

Nicknamed 'The Rubber City', Akron is the birthplace of the balloon tire, automobile tires made in the United States, the rubber-wound golf ball, the cotton-covered rubber fire hose, and the first synthetic rubber tire in the rubber industry alone. Akron also saw the birth of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, The Goodrich Corporation (formerly) B.F. Goodrich, and The Firestone Tire and Rubber company. Even today, the rubber industry remains key in Akron's economy, with companies related to the industry being the major employers in the area. Goodyear maintains its headquarters in Akron, and employs over 145,000 people worldwide. In Akron alone, they are the largest employer in the city, employing 4,700 people.

Other major Akron employers include the Summa Health System, Akron Public Schools, The City Of Akron, Akron General Medical Center, and Fred Albrecht Grocery Co., each hiring between 2,000 and 3,700 employees.

The University of Akron is a world leader in polymer research, and the city of Akron is a focal point of this development. Polymer research is a mainstay in Akron's industrial sector.

The unemployment rate is roughly 5.5%, and on a decreasing trend. As of the most recent census, the mean annual income for a household in Akron is $31,835.