Jobs & Economy in Gilbert
Gilbert's economy runs on a genuinely diversified, four-corridor employment base -- healthcare, manufacturing, retail, STEM, and aerospace/aviation near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport -- rather than reliance on one dominant single-site employer.
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Learn moreA genuinely diversified, four-corridor employment geography
Gilbert's Office of Economic Development describes four distinct employment corridors: Northwest (science, technology, engineering, and math occupations), Central (a healthcare corridor with concentrated Banner-area facilities), and Gateway (aerospace/aviation firms and large retail developments near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport) -- a real, structurally diversified employment base, distinct from Chandler's Intel-anchored single-dominant-employer identity documented elsewhere in this dataset.
Health Care, Manufacturing, and Retail Trade are Gilbert's three largest industries by employee count
As of 2024 (Data USA), Gilbert's three largest industries were Health Care & Social Assistance (18,960 employees), Manufacturing (16,153), and Retail Trade (15,327). Total employment grew 4.34% from 2023 to 2024 (roughly 141,000 to 147,000 employees) -- a real, if not independently re-verified against a 2025-2026 update this pass, growth signal.
Statewide unemployment context, with a real, disclosed Gilbert-specific gap
Arizona's seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate held at 4.9% in July 2026, up from 4.8% in May and described as the highest level in five years. A Gilbert-town-specific unemployment rate was not independently resolved to a verified figure this research pass -- a real, disclosed gap rather than an assumption that Gilbert tracks the statewide rate exactly.
Proximity to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport supports the Gateway employment corridor
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, a growing commercial-service airport just east/southeast of Gilbert, anchors the town's Gateway employment corridor for aerospace/aviation firms -- a real, geography-specific economic asset distinct from relying solely on Phoenix Sky Harbor (roughly a 30-40 minute drive) for air-travel and aviation-sector access.
Key takeaways
- Gilbert's economy runs on four distinct employment corridors (Northwest/STEM, Central/healthcare, Gateway/aerospace-retail) -- a genuinely diversified base rather than reliance on one dominant employer like Chandler's Intel anchor documented elsewhere in this dataset.
- Gilbert's three largest industries (2024, Data USA) are Health Care & Social Assistance (18,960 employees), Manufacturing (16,153), and Retail Trade (15,327), with total employment growing 4.34% from 2023 to 2024.
- Arizona's statewide unemployment rate reached a 5-year high of 4.9% in July 2026; a Gilbert-town-specific unemployment figure was not independently resolved this research pass -- disclosed as a real gap.
- Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, just east/southeast of Gilbert, anchors the town's Gateway employment corridor for aerospace/aviation firms, a real geography-specific economic asset.
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