Jobs & Economy in Peoria
Peoria's economy runs on a real, evolving mix of a still-substantial Caterpillar manufacturing presence and a real, growing healthcare sector that has overtaken manufacturing as the region's largest employer category.
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Learn moreCaterpillar's real, continued regional presence
Caterpillar's global headquarters left Peoria for Deerfield, Illinois in 2017 (and later for Irving, Texas in 2022), but the company still employs roughly 12,000 people across the Peoria area -- the largest concentration of Caterpillar employees anywhere in the world.
Healthcare: the region's largest, fastest-growing sector
Healthcare now accounts for roughly 18% of regional jobs versus manufacturing's roughly 13%, anchored by OSF HealthCare's own downtown-Peoria headquarters (a repeat Forbes best-employer honoree) and UnityPoint Health.
A real, mixed near-term outlook
Regional economic reporting reviewed this pass described Peoria's economy as remaining generally stable, with some disclosed uncertainty in the heavy-machinery manufacturing sector that many of the region's higher-wage jobs still depend on.
Key takeaways
- Caterpillar's HQ left Peoria in 2017, but ~12,000 regional jobs remain -- the world's largest Caterpillar employee concentration.
- Healthcare (~18% of regional jobs) has overtaken manufacturing (~13%) as Peoria's largest employment sector.
- Peoria's near-term economic outlook is generally stable, with real, disclosed uncertainty in heavy-machinery manufacturing specifically.
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